Qatar has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking their second consecutive appearance at the prestigious tournament. The Qataris clinched their spot by defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2-1 in a crucial match on Tuesday. This victory propelled Qatar to the top of Group A in the fourth round of Asian qualification.
The match, held in Doha at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, was a hard-fought contest. The first half saw both teams creating opportunities, with Qatar's Mohammed Al-Mannai's header narrowly missing the target in the 30th minute. The deadlock was broken shortly after the restart when Boualem Khoukhi headed in a free-kick from Akram Afif in the 47th minute. Qatar extended their lead in the 73rd minute through another header, this time by Pedro Miguel, assisted again by Afif.
The final minutes of the match were filled with drama. Qatar were reduced to 10 men after Tarek Salman received a red card in the 87th minute. The UAE pulled a goal back through Sultan Adil in the eighth minute of added time, ensuring a tense finish, but Qatar managed to hold on for the win.
This marks the first time Qatar has advanced through qualification, as their previous appearance in 2022 was as the host nation. In the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, unfortunately, lost all three of their group-stage matches.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, will see Qatar among the qualified teams. Six AFC teams have already secured their spots: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
The loss means the UAE will now move to the fifth round and playoffs. They will face the loser of the Group B decider between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in a two-legged tie next month. The winner of that tie will then progress to the FIFA play-off tournament for one final chance at qualification. Oman was eliminated after finishing third in Group A.
