Saudi Arabia Qualifies for 2026 World Cup with Draw Against Iraq

Saudi Arabia secures World Cup spot with 0-0 draw against Iraq

The Green Falcons qualify for the World Cup after a goalless draw against Iraq, marking a significant achievement for Saudi Arabian football.

The draw marked a significant achievement for Saudi Arabia, which will join other Asian teams...

Saudi Arabia secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after holding Iraq to a 0-0 draw in Jeddah. This result marked the team's third consecutive World Cup appearance and seventh overall. The match was closely contested, with both teams creating scoring opportunities.

Goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi made a crucial save in injury time to deny Hassan Abdulkareem's curling free kick, ensuring Saudi Arabia's qualification. The team's defensive solidity and determination paid off, as they only needed a point to seal their spot in the World Cup.

The draw marked a significant achievement for Saudi Arabia, which will join other Asian teams, including Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Jordan, in the 2026 World Cup. The tournament will feature 48 teams and be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Saudi Arabia secured the top spot in Group B of the fourth round of Asia's World Cup preliminaries, finishing level on points with Iraq but surpassing them due to a superior goal difference. This outcome was a testament to the team's resilience, as both sides battled it out in a tightly contested match.

The highly anticipated encounter between Saudi Arabia and Iraq got off to a slow start, with neither team able to create significant scoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes. Despite the electric atmosphere at the packed stadium, boasting over 60,000 fans, the match remained goalless at halftime. Saleh Abu Al-Shamat posed one of the earliest threats to the Iraqi defense, but his shot sailed over the bar in the 13th minute.

The deadlock was broken after halftime when Al-Ahli's forward orchestrated a crucial play. A perfectly weighted pass from him found Feras Al-Brikan, who delivered a precise cross across the goalmouth. Unfortunately for Al-Ahli, Saud Abdulhamid's follow-up shot went wide, denying his team a potential goal.

Despite the near-miss, Al-Shabab's Al-Ahli continued to press forward, causing problems for the visitors' defense. However, the opposing goalkeeper, Jalal Hassan, made a crucial save six minutes after the restart, diving to his left to prevent a certain goal. His acrobatic effort kept his team in the game.

🇸🇦 A third consecutive #FIFAWorldCup for Saudi Arabia!@aramco | #WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/svb5V3K9Uh

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 14, 2025

Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan made several crucial saves to deny Saudi Arabia's attacking threats. He denied Salem Al-Dawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari, keeping his team in the game. Hassan's heroics included a last-ditch tackle via Hassan Al-Tambakti wasn't the stop, Mohanad Ali was stopped.

The breakthrough never came for Iraq, and the Saudis ultimately prevailed. In injury time, Abdulkareem's curling 25-yard free kick was well saved by Nawaf Al-Aqidi, securing a 0-0 draw and Saudi Arabia's World Cup qualification. This marked a significant milestone for the Saudis, who have now qualified for a seventh World Cup since their debut in 1994.