Two-time Asian champions Qatar started their campaign in the crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers third round this month. It turned out to be a sluggish beginning for the Marquez Lopez-coached side that is seeking to make history in the football showpiece. Al Annabi made their World Cup debut as the hosts two years ago but they have never qualified for the World Cup.
They came out with just a solitary point from their two home and away games placed in fifth place of the six-nation Group A. They hosted the United Arab Emirates first losing them despite dominating the match at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium. Al Annabi then travelled to Vientiane, Laos where they met the North Koreans, who played as the hosts.
The match saw both sides shared points after a 2-2 draw under a heavy downpour. Qatar was unfortunate not to claim full three points from the match despite their domination again as rain that also resulted in the game’s suspension for 20 minutes in the second half affected their performance. The North Koreans celebrated their point like a victory as they held the Asian champions despite being reduced to 10 men in the 28th minute. The draw has made the task for Qatar a bit more difficult but with eight matches left there is still plenty of room to make a comeback in this stage of qualifiers which will continue until June next year. Qatar will meet Kyrgyzstan on October 10 and will face Iran five days in their two matches next month.
The national team will need strong results in these two games to bring their qualifying campaign back on track. Lopez, who led Qatar in their successful Asian Cup title defence, is confident his team will bounce back and earn a spot in the World Cup. “Even though we have one point from two matches, we still have eight games ahead of us. We will do our best to achieve victories and gain the points that will enable us to compete strongly for qualification with the teams in Group A,” he said.
Iran, who started as Group A favourites along with Qatar, are ahead along with Uzbekistan with both teams claiming successive victories in their first two matches. The UAE and North Korea are in the third and fourth positions respectively with Kyrgyzstan, who are featuring in the third round for the first time, being on the bottom. The top two teams from the group will secure direct qualification for the World Cup.
A total of 18 teams divided into three groups are competing in the third round of Asian Qualifiers with eight spots up for grabs for the continental teams. With the third round deciding six berths, the two spots will be decided through the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoff. The additional berth can be secured by an Asian team at an Intercontinental Playoff.
