Qatar drawn with UAE and Oman for Playoffs of Asian qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2026
Kuala Lumpur
Al Annabi have been drawn along side the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman for the Playoffs of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026.
The six-team draw was held at the Asian Football Confederation's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Qatar will also play host to Group A with matches against UAE and Oman to be played the in a single round-robin format scheduled for October 8 to 14 in the fourth round at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
The group toppers will book ticket next year's global showpiece in the USA, Canada and Mexico while the second-placed teams from both groups will square off in a two-legged showdown across November 13 and 18. This knockout stage will determine the Continent's representative at the FIFA Playoff Tournament, which offers one final qualifying opportunity.
Qatar, being coached by SpaniardJulen Lopetegui, are currently training in Austria, aiming to qualify for the FIFA World Cup on merit after having made their debut as hosts in 2022, advanced to the playoffs after finishing fourth in Group A of the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers.
UAE, seeking a second appearance at the Finals following their debut in the 1990 edition, finished third in Group A while Oman - hoping for a debut appearance at the global showpiece - finished fourth in Group B.
Oman, under the guidance of newly-appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz, are the only side hunting a historic maiden FIFA World Cup appearance.
On the other side, Patrick Kuivert's Indonesia got a tough draw as they try to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938.
Coached by former Barcelona star and Dutch great Kluivert, Indonesia will play hosts Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B.
Indonesia have embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players and backroom staff to bolster their bid for a first World Cup finals berth since becoming an independent nation.
Jordi Cruyff, son of Dutch football legend Johan, was in February appointed technical adviser to the Football Association of Indonesia to work alongside Kluivert.
Indonesia last qualified for a World Cup while still under Dutch colonial rule and lost 6-0 to Hungary in their only match of that tournament, hosted by France.
They will face a difficult task against Middle East giants Saudi Arabia, who have home advantage and will be heavily favoured to top Group B.
The Saudis have qualified for the World Cup on seven previous occasions including the last two editions.
Iraq have only qualified once in their history, in 1986.
A draw was also held to determine the host team of the knockout stage, with the Group A runners-up to host the first leg.
Australia, Japan, Jordan, Iran, South Korea and Uzbekistan have already secured their World Cup berths from the Asian confederation.
Draw Result (Matches to be played between Oct 8 and 14)
Group A: Qatar (H), UAE, Oman
Group B: Saudi Arabia (H), Iraq, Indonesia
Knockout Stage
13 Nov 1st legcTypeface:> Runners-up Group A v Runners-up
Group B 18 Nov 2nd leg: Runners-up Group B v Runners-up Group A
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Video: Protests against World Cup property speculation in Mexico City
Protests against World Cup property speculation in Mexico City NewsFeed Protesters have taken to the streets again in Mexico City to demonstrate against real estate price speculation ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Video Duration 00 minutes 46 seconds 00:46 Video Duration 01 minutes 18 seconds 01:18 Video Duration 01 minutes 52 seconds 01:52 Video Duration 02 minutes 10 seconds 02:10 Video Duration 00 minutes 57 seconds 00:57 Video Duration 02 minutes 48 seconds 02:48 Video Duration 01 minutes 03 seconds 01:03
Qatar Tribune
13 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Marquez fends off Bezzecchi for Czech MotoGP victory
Agencies Brno (Czech Republic) The 'unstoppable' Marc Marquez emerged victorious yet again on Sunday at the Czech MotoGP to become the first Ducati rider to win five Grands Prix on the spin, but he was made to work for it in the first half of the battle. It was the Spaniard's eighth victory in 12 races this season and fifth in a row, extending his commanding lead in the world championship. The factory Ducati rider beat Marco Bezzecchi on an Aprilia by almost two seconds, while Pedro Acosta on a KTM came in third in his first race podium finish of the season. Marquez had a fifth straight perfect weekend, winning both the sprint on Saturday and Sunday's race. The 32-year-old Spaniard now leads the world championship with 381 points, 120 ahead of his younger brother Alex who crashed, and 168 ahead of Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia. 'It has been a super first part of the season and especially these last races,' Marquez said. 'I feel better and better and I'm riding super good,' he added. Bagnaia started from pole in bright sunshine but only retained the lead until the second lap when Bezzecchi eased past him, with Marquez following suit soon afterwards. Acosta did the same to settle down in third after getting a boost from a second-place finish in Saturday's sprint. Marquez glided past Bezzecchi in lap eight as the runaway trio kept building up their lead, and as so often this season kept widening the gap comfortably. The three stayed put until the finish line, although fourth-placed Bagnaia gave Acosta a hard time pressing from behind. 'The first lap was unbelievable,' said Bezzecchi. 'I had so much fun in the first half of the race but unfortunately when Marc passed me I immediately saw that he had something more.' 'I tried to attack but he was strong. Anyway, I made a fantastic performance, I'm very, very happy,' added the Italian. Marquez took 40min 04.628sec to complete the 21 laps on the resurfaced 5.4-kilometre Brno circuit returning to the MotoGP calendar after a five-year break due to financial woes. Bezzecchi crossed the line 1.753 seconds adrift, while Acosta trailed Marquez by 3.366sec. Almost 220,000 fans gathered in the stands for the weekend as Marquez sped to his fourth MotoGP win at Brno after 2013, 2017 and 2019. The MotoGP circus will now take a summer break and resume with the Austrian GP on August 15-17.
Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Frankfurt's Ekitike heading to Liverpool for $110 mn: Reports
dpa Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is set to join Liverpool in another big-money transfer, according to media reports. The 23-year-old Frenchman will move to the English champions with immediate effect, TV broadcaster Sky Germany and transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday. The transfer fee is said to be around 95 million euros [$110.4 million), with Ekitike is signing a six-year contract with the Reds. The two clubs have yet to confirm the transfer. Ekitiké would become Liverpool's next major signing from the Bundesliga this close season, following the acquisitions of Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz and Dutch wing back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen. The death of Diogo Jota, uncertainty over Darwin Nunez's future and Bayern Munich's pursuit of Luis Diaz appear to have prompted Liverpool to continue their massive spending spree. Ekitiké would be the latest big-money sale by savvy Frankfurt. Earlier this year, the club sold striker Omar Marmoush to Manchester City for 75 million euros. Nearly two years ago, forward Kolo Muani was transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for 95 million euros. Ekitike joined Eintracht Frankfurt from PSG at the start of 2024, initially on loan, before being permanently signed last year for a reported ?16.5 million. In the past season, he contributed 22 goals and 12 assists across all competitions. Liverpool's league rivals Newcastle United had also shown interest in Ekitiké. The reported deal once again highlights the negotiating skills of Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche, whose side finished third in the German top flight last term but must now deal with more squad upheaval. As a potential replacement for Ekitike, Germany international Jonathan Burkardt has already been signed from local rivals Mainz - for just 23 million euros.
