Saudi Arabia is in the group of death and Arab confrontations are expected in the Asian qualifiers sports

The draw for the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was drawn – Thursday – in Kuala Lumpur, resulted in a fiery third group that included 3 top teams from the yellow continent: Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

The 18 teams that qualified for the decisive third round were divided into 3 groups of 6 teams. The first two teams in each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The six third- and fourth-placed teams in each group will participate in a play-off, in which they will be divided into two groups of 3 teams. The first of the two groups will qualify directly for the finals, and the second-placed teams in each group will play in a play-off to determine the identity of the team that will compete in the global play-off and the possibility of obtaining an additional seat for the Yellow Continent.

Saudi Arabia in the group of death

Saudi Arabia’s mission, which seeks to reach the World Cup for the third consecutive time and the seventh time in its history, will not be easy in the face of the teams:

• Japan
• Australia
• the two seas
• China
• Indonesia

Japanese national team director Masakuni Yamamoto commented, saying, “The draw placed us in a very difficult and challenging group. We have matches against teams that have previously participated in the World Cup, and at the same time we will play in regions with different atmospheres, and we will have challenges in traveling. We must ensure that we are prepared in the best way possible.” For players, because there are a lot of challenges.”

On the other hand, Australia coach Graham Arnold, in statements to the AFC website, seemed confident, saying, “I believe that we have become stronger as a team. In the previous qualifiers we did not have the depth as we do now. Many people think that there are 8 and a half seats available in order to qualify.” “And things will be easier, but the draw proved today that there are 3 strong groups.”

A set with an Arabic flavour

In contrast, the second group had an Arab flavour with the presence of 5 teams from West Asia in addition to South Korea, thus ensuring the qualification of an Arab team to the finals, as the first and second place teams in each group qualify for the World Cup.

The five Arab teams are:

• Iraq
• Jordan, runner-up of the yellow continent
• Oman
• Palestine
• Kuwait

The administrative director of the Jordanian national team (Group Two), Muhammad Manjo, confirmed that the draw placed the Al-Nashama team in a “balanced group that is neither easy nor difficult.”

He said, “We have great confidence in the Al-Nashama team to achieve the dream of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time.”

He added, “The Arab teams know each other well, and this will increase the intensity of the competition. The Nashama team will be ready for the qualifiers and has a plan and preparation stage that suits this important stage in the history of Jordanian football.”

It is noteworthy that the Jordanian national team faced South Korea twice in the last Asian Cup, in which it achieved second place behind Qatar, where the two teams tied 2-2 in the group stage, and Jordan won 2-0 in the semi-final, and also surpassed the Jordanian national team on its way to the final match for the first time. In its history, Iraq won a dramatic 3-2 victory in the final eight.

Jordan is participating for the second time in the decisive round of the World Cup qualifiers, after the first in the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifiers, in which the Al-Nashama reached the global play-off and faced Uruguay, where they lost 0-5 in the first leg and tied 0-0 in the second leg.

The Tunisian coach of the Palestinian national team, Makram Daboub, believes that his team’s mission will not be easy, and said in this regard, “I think the draw is difficult in the different groups, and the journey will last for about 10 months. We have a chance, and our goal is to be among the first 4 teams in the group, and we hope that the players will live up to expectations.”

Qatar with Iran, Uzbekistan and the UAE

Like Saudi Arabia, the path of Qatar, the Asian champion, will not be paved with roses to reach the World Cup for the second time in its history and the first through the qualifiers after it automatically played the 2022 edition on its home soil as the host country.

Qatar was in the first group. Beside:

• Iran
• Uzbekistan
• The UAE
• Kyrgyzstan
• north korea

Qatari national team coach, former Australian star Tim Cahill, commented, saying, “We must always believe in our luck. We now realize the identity of the teams we will face, and it is now a matter of preparation, logistical matters, and ensuring the team’s readiness, both mentally and physically.”

In contrast, the Portuguese coach of the Emirates, Paulo Bento, considered that “the mission will be difficult due to the quality of the teams we will face. From a logistical point of view, things are not bad for us. This is important because sometimes our players are not used to traveling a lot, and we will not need to adapt a lot.”