Qatar Drawn with UAE and Oman in Fourth Round of AFC Asian 2026 Qualifiers

Qatar will take on the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the fourth round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in October. The draw, held on Thursday, outlined the groupings for the centralised-format play-offs.

Based on the FIFA rankings as of June, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were placed in Pot 1 and are set to host matches during this stage, although the exact venues have not yet been confirmed.

Qatar, grouped with Oman and the UAE, will begin their campaign on October 8 against Oman, followed by a clash with the UAE on October 14. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has been grouped with Iraq and Indonesia in the other group.

This phase is a critical one for Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup, as they now look to secure qualification to the 2026 edition on competitive merit.

Only the group winners will gain direct qualification, rounding out Asia’s eight guaranteed spots. The second-placed teams will go head-to-head in a two-legged playoff, with the winner progressing to the inter-confederation playoff for a final shot at qualification.