Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The draw for the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup placed the UAE in Group A alongside Qatar and Oman, while Group B includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia.
The draw ceremony was held today at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The six teams that qualified for this stage were divided into two groups, each containing three teams. The group winner will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
The matches of this stage will be held in a group format, from October 8 to 14. Qatar will host Group A matches, while Group B matches will be held in Saudi Arabia.
Six Asian teams had already secured direct qualification to the finals at the end of the third round of qualifiers last month: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, the Republic of Korea, and Uzbekistan.
The UAE is aiming for its second appearance in the World Cup, having first participated in 1990. It qualified for the play-offs after finishing third in Group A of the third round.
Qatar is seeking to qualify for the World Cup through the qualifying rounds for the first time in its history, having participated in the 2022 edition as the host nation. It qualified for the play-offs after finishing fourth in Group A in the third round of the qualifiers.
Oman, on the other hand, aspires to achieve a historic first qualification for the World Cup, after finishing fourth in Group B in the third round.
For its part, Saudi Arabia is seeking its third consecutive participation and seventh overall, having been forced to play in the play-offs after finishing third in Group C of the third round.
Iraq is seeking its second appearance after its sole participation in 1986, and qualified for the play-offs after finishing third in Group B of the third round.
Indonesia is hoping to return to the World Cup after a long absence since its only participation in 1938 (as the Dutch East Indies), and qualified for the play-offs after finishing fourth in Group C.
