The third and final stage of the Asian qualifiers for the finals of the next edition of the tournament begins. World Cup 2026During the current international break, which is witnessing strong confrontations between many Arab teams.
The first round of the third and decisive round is scheduled to be held from AFC qualifiers For the 2026 World Cup qualifying football tournament, starting from Thursday, September 5.
The qualifying system stipulates that the first two teams from each of the three groups qualify directly for the next World Cup finals.
The two teams that finish third and fourth in each group will advance to the fourth round, which will be divided into two groups. The first team from each group will receive a ticket to travel to North America, while the second-placed teams will play a two-legged match to determine the team that will represent the Asian Football Confederation in the play-off. FIFA Global.
The current international break is witnessing many strong confrontations between the Arab teams in the first and second rounds of the decisive round of the qualifiers.
Qatar vs UAE
Enters Qatar national team This match is scheduled for September 5 as the Asian Cup champions in the last two editions, which makes them one of the most prominent candidates to qualify.
The team relies heavily on the attacking duo Akram Afif and Almoez Ali, as the latter tops the list of scorers in the qualifiers with seven goals, in partnership with South Korean Heung-Min Son.
On the other hand, it is issued UAE national team His group in the second round of the qualifiers under coach Pinto, and the team relies mainly on young striker Sultan Al-Amiri, who scored three goals in the second round, along with the brilliant defender Abdullah Idris.
Iraq vs Oman
The Iraqi team is in high spirits after topping its group in the second round and was one of the best performing teams in that stage.
As for the Omani national team, it seeks to continue its uprising after the disappointing performance in the 2023 Asian Cup. The team qualified for the third round after topping its group in the second round.
Jordan vs Kuwait
Great ambition dominates the ranks. Jordan national team After reaching the Asian Cup final and topping its group in the second round of the qualifiers, it is currently led by coach Jamal Sellami, who took over the task after Hussein Ammouta.
In contrast, the Kuwaiti team enters this match under the leadership of its new coach, Juan Antonio Pizzi, who is playing his first match with the team after replacing Rui Pinto.
The Kuwaiti team qualified for the third round after snatching the qualification card in the final round of the second round, as it had a stumbling start.
Palestine vs Jordan
After reaching the knockout stages in Asian Cup For the first time and its historic qualification to the decisive round of the qualifiers, the Palestine national team is preparing to continue its exciting adventure under the leadership of Tunisian coach Makram Daboub, and is relying on a group of distinguished players such as strikers Adi Al-Dabbagh and Wissam Abu Ali, in addition to the solid defender Yasser Hamed.
Despite Jordan’s clear superiority in direct confrontations over the past two decades, Musa Al-Taamari and his colleagues are fully aware of the extent of the development of the Palestinian team with coach Makram Daboub, who led the team to new and unprecedented levels.
Kuwait vs Iraq
Facing Kuwait national team A big challenge in this match against its Iraqi counterpart, as it seeks to achieve a positive result that contributes to strengthening its position in these qualifiers, and trying to exploit the home field and crowd factors to decide matters in its favor.
On the other hand, the Iraqi team is focusing on achieving two victories in the first two rounds so as not to complicate its mission in the upcoming matches, especially since it awaits confrontations that may be more difficult in the following rounds.