Doha, Qatar, October 15, 2025: Qatar sealed their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a tense 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in the Asian qualifying playoffs at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday, October 14.
Needing a win to progress, Julen Lopetegui’s side rose to the occasion with goals from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel, while Sultan Adil’s late strike for the UAE set up a frantic finish.
Tarek Salman was sent off in the 89th minute after a VAR review for a studs-up tackle, but Qatar held firm through 15 minutes of stoppage time to claim a famous victory in front of a packed house at the home of Al Sadd, a report posted by the Qatar Olympic Committee stated.
The 2022 World Cup hosts, who did not make it out of the group stage three years ago in their first ever appearance at the tournament, were deserved winners on the night. It marks the first time that Qatar has advanced to the World Cup through qualification.
The victory put Qatar top of Group A in the fourth round of Asian qualification, ahead of second-placed UAE, who now advance to the fifth round and a two-legged playoff against the Group B runners-up in November. The winner will advance to an intercontinental playoff for one last chance to reach the finals.
Captain Khoukhi said: “It’s time to celebrate and I congratulate all Qataris on this historic achievement. We really worked hard for this win – we deserved this victory.”
Qatar became the seventh Asian side to qualify for the global showpiece, joining Uzbekistan, Jordan, Iran, Japan, Korea and Australia.
