Khaberni - Second place in the group comprising the UAE, Qatar, and Oman in the Asian Playoffs, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup has become very important, as it will give its holder one last chance to reach the World Cup through the global playoff that brings together teams from different continents to compete for the last two qualifying spots for the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
According to the qualification system, the team that finishes second in the group of the UAE, Qatar, and Oman will face the runner-up of the first group, which includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia, in an Asian playoff with home and away matches to determine the Asian representative in the global playoff.
The winner of this continental confrontation will participate in the global playoff alongside 5 other teams representing different continents, which are: a team from Africa, another from South America (Bolivia), a team from Oceania (New Caledonia), in addition to two teams from North America.
According to the system adopted by FIFA, the six teams participating in the global playoff will be ranked based on their FIFA ranking. The four lowest-ranked teams will play two semi-final matches, with the winners meeting the two highest-ranked teams in the final round.
The winners of the final matches will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals, completing the lineup of 48 teams participating in the tournament.
The upcoming Tuesday witnesses an anticipated match that brings together the UAE and Qatar, where the team that finishes the group in second place – whether it be the UAE, Qatar, or Oman – will still retain a realistic chance of achieving the World Cup dream, albeit through a longer and more complex path that requires overcoming two tough tests in Asia and then in the global playoff, the same applies to the match between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, where one team will qualify directly for the World Cup, and the other team will head to play a decisive match, after the Indonesian team officially withdrew from the qualifiers.
