Qatar beat UAE 2-1 to qualify for their first World Cup via the qualification route.
Qatar secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in Doha. It marks the first time Qatar have reached the tournament through qualification, having appeared as 2022 hosts.
Boualem Khoukhi opened the scoring two minutes after the break with a header from Akram Afif’s free kick, before Pedro Miguel doubled the lead in the 73rd minute from another Afif assist. UAE’s Sultan Adil pulled one back during stoppage time, but Qatar held on despite Tarek Salman’s 87th-minute red card.
The win placed Qatar atop Group A in the Asian qualifiers, while UAE advance to the playoff round. Oman were eliminated after finishing third.
Japan and South Korea, who already secured qualification, won their friendlies against South American sides—Japan beating Brazil 3-2 and South Korea defeating Paraguay 2-0.