Qatar's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

Qatar will play the UAE in their decisive match on Tuesday evening in Doha, with one chance to automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The group winners will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the runners-up will play a two-legged playoff to determine the team that will advance to the global play-off, which will award Asia's final ticket to the World Cup. Qatar has only one point in Group A after a goalless draw against Oman, while the UAE leads the group with three points after defeating Oman 2-1. The UAE enters the final round of the Asian play-offs for the 2026 World Cup with a clear advantage, having achieved a crucial 2-1 victory over Oman, which placed them top of their group with three points. The Qatari "Al Annabi" enters the match with only one option: victory, which will raise their tally to four points and automatically qualify for the World Cup. Any other result will mean they are eliminated from the race for direct qualification. In contrast, a draw is enough for the UAE's "Whites" to secure qualification, as their tally will rise to 4 points, compared to 2 for the Qatari team, confirming their lead in the group. A win would secure qualification with a perfect score (6 points).