Arabs compete for a Ticket to 2026 World Cup

The fourth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup will kick off between October 8 and 14, with the Arab continent's teams seeking to secure at least a direct qualification spot, while the play-offs continue between the runners-up. The current round includes six Arab teams, after six others have already qualified, including Jordan for the first time in its history. The teams are divided into two groups: the first, comprising Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, will be held in Doha, and the second, comprising Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia, will be held in Jeddah. Each team will play its matches in a single-round league format. The winner of each group will qualify directly for the finals, while the runners-up of the two groups will meet in a fifth round in November to determine which team will represent Asia in the global play-off, where they will face competitors from other continents for an additional place. Oman is seeking its first-ever qualification, while Indonesia, Iraq, and the UAE are seeking their second appearance, while Qatar and Saudi Arabia are aiming for their second consecutive appearance. The round begins on Wednesday at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium with a match between Qatar and Oman. Under Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, Al Annabi will be looking to make a strong start despite injury concerns, particularly the absence of all-time top scorer Almoez Ali, who is not fully fit. The UAE will then face Oman in a repeat of their last match in the 2024 Gulf Cup, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Group B begins in Jeddah with Saudi Arabia facing Indonesia, who recorded a historic victory over the Green Falcons in the previous round. Iraq will continue their campaign against Indonesia, building on their strong record against them, before the group stage concludes on October 14 with two decisive matches: Qatar vs. the UAE and Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq, to ​​determine the fate of direct qualification and the playoff stage.