Saudi Arabia's Path to World Cup 2026 Qualification
The national football team's chances depend on upcoming matches and rival outcomes.
As the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup progress, four spots remain available for direct qualification.
In Group C, Saudi Arabia is competing with Australia for a crucial position, following Japan's confirmed advancement as group leaders.
At the conclusion of the third round, two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, accounting for six Asian teams.
Meanwhile, Asia will also gain two additional spots through the upcoming fourth round.
Japan secured its World Cup spot after the seventh round, while Iran has also advanced.
This leaves four remaining spots: one from Group A (Iran's group), two from Group B (which has yet to confirm any direct qualifiers), and one from Group C (from which Japan has already qualified).
The final determination of the last four Asian slots will occur on June 5 and June 10. The teams finishing in third and fourth places in the three groups from the previous round will compete in two new groups, each containing three teams, in a single round-robin format.
The top two teams from each new group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will enter a playoff to secure the final Asian spot.
Notably, this World Cup will feature an unprecedented eight direct slots for Asian teams, along with a possible additional team from the continent participating in the intercontinental playoff, potentially increasing the number of Asian representatives to nine.
The Saudi team, known as the Green Falcons, requires victories in its last two matches: against Bahrain in the Bahraini capital and against Australia at home in Saudi Arabia on June 10.
For Saudi Arabia to qualify directly, they must win both matches while hoping for Australia to fail to secure a favorable result against Japan — either a draw or a loss.
If Australia does not falter and the teams finish with a tie on 16 points, various qualification criteria will come into play, starting with goal difference.
Should Australia win narrowly against Japan in the next match, Saudi Arabia would need to score at least eight goals in their upcoming fixtures against Bahrain and Australia to hold a positive goal difference.
Alternatively, if Saudi Arabia fails to qualify directly, they could still secure a playoff spot by winning one of their two remaining matches, drawing both, or losing both, contingent on Bahrain's performance against China.
The Asian playoff will include six teams divided into two groups of three, competing in a single round-robin format in October.
The group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will meet in home-and-away matches in November to determine who will advance to the international playoff in March 2026.
The international playoff will involve six teams, competing for the last two available spots for the World Cup, with participants from various football confederations, including CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC.
In Group C, Saudi Arabia is competing with Australia for a crucial position, following Japan's confirmed advancement as group leaders.
At the conclusion of the third round, two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, accounting for six Asian teams.
Meanwhile, Asia will also gain two additional spots through the upcoming fourth round.
Japan secured its World Cup spot after the seventh round, while Iran has also advanced.
This leaves four remaining spots: one from Group A (Iran's group), two from Group B (which has yet to confirm any direct qualifiers), and one from Group C (from which Japan has already qualified).
The final determination of the last four Asian slots will occur on June 5 and June 10. The teams finishing in third and fourth places in the three groups from the previous round will compete in two new groups, each containing three teams, in a single round-robin format.
The top two teams from each new group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will enter a playoff to secure the final Asian spot.
Notably, this World Cup will feature an unprecedented eight direct slots for Asian teams, along with a possible additional team from the continent participating in the intercontinental playoff, potentially increasing the number of Asian representatives to nine.
The Saudi team, known as the Green Falcons, requires victories in its last two matches: against Bahrain in the Bahraini capital and against Australia at home in Saudi Arabia on June 10.
For Saudi Arabia to qualify directly, they must win both matches while hoping for Australia to fail to secure a favorable result against Japan — either a draw or a loss.
If Australia does not falter and the teams finish with a tie on 16 points, various qualification criteria will come into play, starting with goal difference.
Should Australia win narrowly against Japan in the next match, Saudi Arabia would need to score at least eight goals in their upcoming fixtures against Bahrain and Australia to hold a positive goal difference.
Alternatively, if Saudi Arabia fails to qualify directly, they could still secure a playoff spot by winning one of their two remaining matches, drawing both, or losing both, contingent on Bahrain's performance against China.
The Asian playoff will include six teams divided into two groups of three, competing in a single round-robin format in October.
The group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will meet in home-and-away matches in November to determine who will advance to the international playoff in March 2026.
The international playoff will involve six teams, competing for the last two available spots for the World Cup, with participants from various football confederations, including CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC.
