8 players you completely forgot play in Qatar from Santi Cazorla to Toby Alderweireld
With anticipation building over the 2022 Qatar World Cup - Daily Star Sport has taken a look at eight international stars who are already in the country following big-money moves
Since Marcel Desailly swapped Chelsea for Al-Gharafa way back in 2005 - a wave of international stars have plied their trade in the Qatar Stars League.
With the chance to play under managers like Xavi and Laurent Blanc being an attractive proposal for players coming to the end of the professional careers, a hefty pay packet is another notable incentive.
With Santi Cazorla choosing to swap Villarreal for Al Sadd back in 2020, he has thrived in the Middle East and scored a career best 13 goals in his debut season.
Daily Star Sport has now taken a look at eight players who are currently playing in Qatar for the 2021/22 campaign, six of whom have been Premier League stars in the past.
Steven Nzonzi
Steven Nzonzi swapped Roma for Al-Rayyan on a permanent two-year deal as recently as last month after being sent on loan to both Galatasaray and then Rennes.
The former France international had moved to Serie A after impressing with Sevilla in Spain, having spent three years with Blackburn and three with Stoke between 2009 and 2015.
The 32-year-old is playing under former France and PSG boss Laurent Blanc at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, and they sit sixth in the table after seven fixtures.
Marc Muniesa
Another former Stoke player that has made the move to Qatar is Marc Muniesa, who joined Al-Arabi back in 2019 having left England for Girona the previous year.
The former Spain youth international joined Stoke from Barcelona back in 2013, going on to make 67 appearances for the club in all competitions and scoring three goals.
The 29-year-old plays under Younes Ali at the Grand Hamad Stadium, and they sit third in the table following four wins from their seven fixtures.
Toby Alderweireld
Toby Alderweireld ended his six-year spell at Tottenham back in July despite having a contract that ran until the summer of 2023 in the Premier League.
The 32-year-old spent time with Atletico Madrid and Southampton after leaving boyhood club Ajax back in 2013, and remains a member of the Belgium international squad.
The defender plays under former Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk boss Luis Castro with Al-Duhail, and they sit second in the table with six wins from seven matches.
James Rodriguez
James Rodriguez showed glimpses of his ability during his one season at Everton under Carlo Ancelotti, but left by mutual consent following interest from Al-Rayyan.
The former Porto, Monaco, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder has found the net once from this three outings so far.
The 30-year-old plays alongside Nzonzi under Blanc at Al-Rayyan, making up two of their foreign players alongside Ivory Coast international Yohan Boli.
Andre Ayew
Andre Ayew spent four years at Swansea either side of a two-year spell with West Ham between 2015 and 2021.
The Ghana icon was a regular goalscorer for the two clubs, and managed 18 goals and 17 goals in all competitions during Swansea's last two Championship campaigns.
The 31-year-old's time in England came to an end in July when he reached an agreement with Xavi's Al Sadd SC on a free transfer, the club he father Abedi Pele joined 39 years previously.
Santi Cazorla
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Arsenal hero Santi Cazorla enjoyed two productive seasons with Villarreal after leaving London in 2018, and his move to play for Al Sadd came as a surprise.
The 36-year-old continued paying for Spain until 2019, having been overlooked during the previous three calendar years.
Also playing under Xavi, Cazorla has won each of the Qatar Stars League, Qatar Cup, Emir of Qatar Cup and Qatari Stars Cup since making the switch.
Javi Martinez
Former Athletic Bilbao midfielder and Bayern Munich defender Javi Martinez left Germany for Qatar SC earlier this year ahead of his 33rd birthday.
The former Spain international won nine Bundesliga titles during his time with Bayern, and is now playing under former Flamengo boss Ze Ricardo.
Qatar SC have won just one of their opening seven fixtures, drawing on three occasions.
Yacine Brahimi
Yacine Brahimi was a target for several Champions League clubs following the expiration of his contract at Porto back in 2019 following 25 goals across the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns.
However, the Algeria international opted to find a new challenge in the Middle East with Al-Rayyan, and has gone on to score 15 goals in 22 league outings.
Coached by Blanc at Al-Rayyan, they face an uphill battle in taking the title from Xavi's dominating Al Sadd.