Qatar secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on Tuesday. This victory marked Qatar’s first qualification for the World Cup via the traditional qualification process, following their role as hosts in the 2022 tournament, where they were eliminated at the group stage.
Qatar’s First Half-Chance
The match, held in Doha, saw both teams battle fiercely, with Qatar coming close to scoring in the 30th minute. A header from Mohamed al-Mannai narrowly missed the UAE goal, which was guarded by Khalid Essa. However, Qatar’s persistence paid off early in the second half.
Khoukhi and Miguel Seal the Win
In the 47th minute, Boualem Khoukhi gave Qatar the lead with a header from Akram Afif’s perfectly placed free kick. The goal brought the home crowd to life and set the tone for the remainder of the match. Afif was involved again in the 73rd minute, delivering another assist from the left wing, this time to Pedro Miguel, who made no mistake in heading the ball into the net for Qatar’s second goal.
Tense Finish After Red Card
The match took a tense turn when Qatar were reduced to 10 men. Tarek Salman was shown a straight red card in the 87th minute, leaving Qatar to play the final stages of the match with fewer players. As the match entered injury time, UAE’s Sultan Adil scored with a shot from inside the penalty area, giving his team a glimmer of hope. However, despite this late goal, the UAE’s efforts were not enough to force a draw, and Qatar held on to claim the win.
With this result, Qatar moved to the top of Group A in the fourth round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers, surpassing the UAE, who will now advance to the fifth round and playoffs. Oman, who finished third in the group, were eliminated from the competition.
Other Qualifier Results
Elsewhere, Japan and South Korea also recorded victories in their friendly matches against South American teams on Tuesday. Japan triumphed over Brazil for the first time, coming from two goals down to win 3-2 in Tokyo. Ayase Ueda’s header in the 71st minute sealed the win for Japan. South Korea defeated Paraguay 2-0 in Seoul, securing their spot in next year’s World Cup as well.
Qatar’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup marks a historic achievement for the country, who now look ahead to joining other top Asian teams in the global tournament next year. The victory is a significant step in Qatar’s footballing journey, following their disappointing performance at the 2022 World Cup.
For more on Qatar’s World Cup journey, see UAE vs Qatar: Highlights from FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifier: Where to watch UAE v Qatar for free.
