Dates of the Arab teams' matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

As the crucial qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup draw near, the sporting arena is witnessing fierce competition between Arab and African teams as they aim to qualify for the biggest tournament in international football. This stage combines excitement and intense competition, as each team seeks to consolidate its position and advance towards the global final, relying on its best players and tactical performances to face real challenges. In this article, we highlight the most prominent matches and match schedules.

The importance of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Arab teams The World Cup qualifiers are the cornerstone of national teams' journey to the 2026 World Cup, with teams competing in two groups for two direct spots. This stage is characterized by intense competition and the strength of the participating teams, as each team seeks to top its group to secure direct qualification, while the second-place team will play a playoff match. Winning the first matches is an ideal start to determining the fate of each team in Group A, with fans highly anticipating the players' performances and decisive goals.

Egypt vs. Djibouti: Qualifying battle and decisive Group A clash Egypt secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup for the fourth time in its history after an easy 3-0 victory over Djibouti on Wednesday evening in the ninth and penultimate round of the African qualifiers for the World Cup.

Qatar vs. UAE: Group A's top battle and the keys to victory The Qatari capital, Doha, will host Group A of the Asian play-offs for the 2026 World Cup, which includes the national teams of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman. All matches will be held at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium at Al Sadd Club. The competition kicked off on Wednesday, October 8, and will continue until the 14th of the same month. The UAE-Qatar match is scheduled to start on Tuesday, October 14, at 8 pm Cairo and Mecca time, and at 7 pm Doha time, which means 9 pm Abu Dhabi time, providing fans with a suitable opportunity to follow this exciting match.

Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq: Challenges and hopes in Group B Saudi Arabia and Iraq are competing in Group B of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The two teams were placed in the same group with Indonesia after the draw. The three teams will compete to determine the sole qualifier for the World Cup. The Saudi national team, led by its French coach , Hervé Renard , leads its group in the Asian playoffs despite the strong competition with Iraq, especially after the Green Falcons achieved an important victory in the first round against Indonesia. The anticipated summit between the Saudi national team and its Iraqi counterpart is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, October 14, at 9:45 pm Mecca and Cairo time.

Asian Appendix: Decisive Arab Clashes on the Road to the 2026 World Cup The Asian play-offs include six strong teams: Saudi Arabia , Iraq, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Indonesia, which failed to qualify directly for the World Cup. They have been divided into two equal groups, with the first-place team in each group qualifying directly for the World Cup, while the two second-place teams play a play-off to determine which team will qualify for the final global play-off.

The status of the Arab teams qualified so far: Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco The United States, Canada, and Mexico will participate as host nations for the next edition of the World Cup, while the following teams qualified through the qualifiers:

Egypt. Japan. New Zealand Iran. Argentina. Uzbekistan. South Korea. Jordan. Australia. Brazil. Ecuador. Uruguay. Colombia. Paraguay. Morocco. Tunisia. Predictions and Analysis: Who is most likely to qualify for the 2026 World Cup? Here are the probabilities of 18 teams qualifying for the finals, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which will host the tournament next year:

Algeria qualified on Thursday after defeating Somalia in Oran. Uganda and Mozambique failed to win, whether it was a loss for Uganda or Mozambique. Ghana will qualify if they beat the Central African Republic and Madagascar fails to beat Comoros. Ivory Coast will qualify if they beat Seychelles and Gabon defeat Gambia. Senegal will qualify if they beat South Sudan and DR Congo fail to beat Togo.