Qatar will play its first-ever World Cup match as a qualified nation against Switzerland in Group B.
The team arrived in Los Angeles under head coach Julen Lopetegui, who previously led Spain before being dismissed on the eve of the 2018 tournament.
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Lopetegui said football did not owe him anything, but he owed himself a moment like this.
He recalled his own World Cup experience from 1994 in the United States, where he was third-choice goalkeeper for Spain behind Andoni Zubizarreta while struggling with herniated discs.
Then-coach Javier Clemente dismissed his injury concerns, saying an old man would not get flu on a Monday.
Lopetegui worried he could not play if needed, but Clemente replied he would call up Santiago Cañizares instead.
During a decisive qualifier, Zubizarreta received a rare red card after just ten minutes. Cañizares came on, played well, and eventually became the first-choice goalkeeper.
Lopetegui remained with the squad despite his own fitness issues at Logroñés, supporting the team as best he could.
Lopetegui is one of only three managers at this tournament who played in USA 94, alongside Ronald Koeman and Hong Myung-bo.
He noted that as a substitute goalkeeper, he watched most games from next to the manager.
His coaching career later included a stint at Barcelona under Johan Cruyff, which influenced many future managers.
Lopetegui described his sudden departure from the Spanish national team in Russia as the saddest day of his life.
