The Qatar Stars League is home to some serious ballers and we’ve picked out seven of them who could definitely be playing at a higher level right now.

Prior to hosting the 2022 World Cup, Qatar invested huge sums of money into their football league and they’ve since attracted plenty of big names to their top division.

We’ve taken a closer look at the Qatar Stars League and have found seven players who are simply too good to be playing there right now.

Marco Verratti

The diminutive Italian is one of the best midfielders of his generation, but he’s been out of the limelight since leaving PSG in 2023.

Given he’s still only 32 years old, we can’t help but feel like he could still be doing a job for a top European side. Since joining Al-Arabi last year, Verratti has made 32 appearances and he’s racked up 11 assists in that time.

We sure miss watching him on Champions League nights especially.

Luis Alberto

Currently averaging a goal contribution every 90 minutes for Al-Duhail, it’s safe to say that Alberto is a cut above the competition in Qatar.

The Spaniard made the switch to the Middle East over the summer, following an eight-year stint with Lazio where he earned hero status.

Given he’s under contract in Qatar until 2027, it seems likely that he’ll be spending the foreseeable future playing for Al-Duhail.

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Akram Afif

While most of the top players in the Qatar Stars League aren’t natives, Afif is a Qatari international who definitely has the talent to play at a higher level.

The 28-year-old regularly gets into double figures for goals and assists and he’s currently averaging a goal contribution every 49 minutes in the league.

He’s previously been on the books at Villarreal, but never made a senior appearance for the club during his brief stint in Spain.

Given he’s now in the prime of his career, we’d love to see a European club taking a punt on the goalscoring winger.

Julian Draxler

Having produced 12 goal contributions in just nine appearances this season, it’s safe to say that Draxler is levels above the competition in Qatar.

The German international joined Al Ahli back in 2023 and is under contract with the club until the summer of 2025.

As he’s still only 31, we wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to return to Europe once his contract in Qatar comes to an end.

Giovani

After being a highly-regarded prospect in the Palmeiras academy, Al Sadd signed the Brazilian youngster back in 2023 for a fee of around €9million.

The 20-year-old suffered a major injury setback last season as he suffered an ACL injury in pre-season and missed the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.

Thankfully, he’s returned to action this season and has started to find some form in an Al Sadd shirt. Given his age and pedigree, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Europe in a few years time.

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Joselu

Just a few months ago, Joselu was scoring goals in the Champions League semi-final and winning the biggest trophies on offer with Real Madrid.

Flash forward to 2024-25 and he’s currently banging them in for Al-Gharafa. Across all competitions, the 34-year-old has scored eight goals this season along with providing a couple of assists too.

Rodri Sanchez

After making a name for himself at Real Betis, Al-Arabi swooped in and signed the 24-year-old attacking midfielder over the summer.

The 24-year-old has already produced 13 goal contributions in 14 appearances this season as he’s taken the Qatar Stars League by storm.

He’s under contract with Al-Arabi until 2027, but we’d expect him to return to Europe one day, eespecially if he continues to smash it in Qatar.