The race for spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America reached a thrilling climax on Tuesday as Australia sealed their place in the finals, while a heartbreaking late penalty denied Palestine their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Australia Overcome Saudi Arabia to Secure Sixth Consecutive World Cup Berth
Led by coach Tony Popovic, Australia booked their ticket to the World Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 away win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. With both teams eyeing the automatic qualification spot in Group C, the Socceroos rose to the occasion in a tense final group match.
Saudi Arabia struck first in the 19th minute through Abdulrahman Ghareeb, but Australia responded before the break with a powerful left-footed strike from Connor Metcalfe in the 42nd minute.
Early in the second half, Mitchell Duke headed home from a Martin Boyle cross to complete the comeback.
Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, making his 100th international appearance, played a crucial role by saving a late penalty from Saud Abdulhamid, ensuring the Socceroos clinched a memorable victory. With 19 points, Australia finished second in the group behind Japan (23 points), which routed Indonesia 6-0 in their final match. Saudi Arabia (13 points) and Indonesia (12 points) will now move on to the next qualification phase in October.
Oman’s Injury-Time Equaliser Shatters Palestine’s Hopes
In Group B, Palestine’s dream of reaching the World Cup for the first time came to a devastating end as Oman snatched a 1-1 draw in injury time, pushing Palestine out of contention by a single point.
Playing on neutral ground in Amman, Palestine took the lead in the 49th minute when Oday Dabbagh powered in a header from Adam Kayed’s corner.
Things seemed to tilt further in Palestine’s favour when Oman’s Harib Al-Saadi was sent off in the 73rd minute after receiving a second yellow card.
However, heartbreak struck in the 97th minute. A foul in the box allowed Oman’s Issam Al-Sabhi to convert from the spot, levelling the score and securing Oman’s place in the next round with 11 points, just ahead of Palestine’s 10.
Elsewhere, South Korea confirmed their dominance in Group B with a commanding 4-0 win over Kuwait, finishing top with 22 points. Jordan, despite a 1-0 defeat to Iraq, secured second place with 16 points and also advanced.
In Group A, Iran cruised past North Korea 3-0 to top the table with 23 points, while Uzbekistan defeated Qatar by the same scoreline to secure second place with 21 points. The UAE and Qatar will proceed to the fourth qualifying round.
Final Round to Determine Last Two Direct Spots
The top two teams from each group, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Jordan, Iran, and Uzbekistan, have qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup. The teams finishing third and fourth in their groups, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, UAE, and Qatar, will compete in the fourth qualifying round.
Scheduled for October, this phase will feature two groups of three teams. Only the group winners will join the others in the final tournament, while the runners-up will face off for a potential intercontinental playoff spot.
China Exit Early Again
China ended their campaign with a 1-0 win over Bahrain but finished fifth in Group C with 9 points, falling short of qualification and continuing their long absence from the global stage since their only World Cup appearance in 2002.
As the dust settles on the AFC’s 18-team qualifying stage, attention now turns to October’s decisive round, where six teams will battle for just two remaining World Cup spots. The road to North America remains open, but only the strongest will survive.
