Overview

• Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in Al Rayyan to seal a place at the 2026 tournament, its first sport-based World Cup qualification.
• The AFC allowed Qatar to stage both playoff matches at home with the longest recovery window, a setup also granted to Saudi Arabia.
• Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia were seeded as group heads based on FIFA rankings, which shaped matchups and venues during Asian qualifying.
• Four affected federations, including the UAE, lodged formal complaints over the allocations, but the appeal process did not change the arrangements.
• UAE coach Cosmin Olaroiu denounced the inequality, while Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui hailed the achievement; Saudi Arabia also secured qualification for a seventh World Cup.