The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word QATAR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
Q
A
T
A
R
More clues leading to the result QATAR
- Leaves Arabia or just one of its countries
- Question desert area retreating in place with lots of sand
- Land rating following maintenance of set standards
- World Cup hosts in question a focus of attack? Get away!
- Drug ends drear state
- Sporting venue where cards were played right: Queen, Ace and Jack
- Question a traitor returning to the country
- Question a rising traitor in an Arabian land
- Question a sailor’s country
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "World Cup hosts" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case world cup hosts = qatar.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.