JEDDAH, Oct 14 (KUNA) - In an exciting and crucial match, Saudi Arabia have qualified for the 2026 World Cup Championship after holding a goalless draw with Iraq on Tuesday.
The game was held at Alinma Stadium as part of the last round of 2026 Asian World Cup qualifiers.
By this win, Saudi Arabian players topped their group B with four points and goal differences, and booked a berth at the World Cup tournament, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico. Iraq's team also have four points.
It will be the seventh time for Saudi Arabia to play in the world cup; it previously cruised into the championship in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022.
Under the qualification rules, the team which directly top their group qualify for the championship, while the second-placed teams will play home and away matches on November 13 and 18. The winners qualify for the intercontinental playoff leading to the World Cup.
Earlier in the day, Qatar's team have booked a seat at the World Cup after beating the UAE 2-1.
Today's victories raised the number of the Asian teams qualified for the championship to eight: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Uzbekistan. (end) fn.hm