At home, Qatar had to beat UAE to win Group A of the 4th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. After a deadlocked first half due to the disciplined play of their opponents, the turning point came in the 49th minute when Akram Afif assisted Khoukhi to open the score.

Qatar's number one star continued to shine with the second assist for Pedro Miguel in the 74th minute, helping the home team lead 2-0.

Qatar breathlessly wins ticket to World Cup 2026 - Photo: AFC

Although the UAE pulled a late goal back in stoppage time, the 2-1 win was enough to secure Qatar a place at the World Cup for the second consecutive time - after the 2022 edition will be held on home soil.

In Group B, Saudi Arabia and Iraq also entered the final round of matches in a do-or-die situation. Both had previously beaten Indonesia, and only goal difference and number of goals scored could determine the outcome.

In the head-to-head match, Saudi Arabia dominated with 15 shots but could not penetrate the Iraqi net. The 0-0 draw left both teams with 4 points and a goal difference of +1, but Herve Renard's team took the top spot thanks to scoring more goals (3 compared to 1).

Saudi Arabia is the 8th Asian team to participate in the biggest football festival on the planet next year - Photo: AFC

At the end of the qualifying round, Qatar and Saudi Arabia officially entered the 2026 World Cup, while UAE and Iraq will have to fight in the play-off round to continue their US - Canada - Mexico dream.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/them-2-doi-bong-chau-a-nghet-tho-gianh-ve-du-world-cup-2026-2415430.html