Qatar face Iran, UAE in tricky group

Doha: Reigning Asian champions Qatar face an uphill task in their bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for first time as they were drawn alongside Ir...

Doha: Reigning Asian champions Qatar face an uphill task in their bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for first time as they were drawn alongside Iran in a tricky Group A yesterday.

The draw ceremony for the third round of Asian Qualifiers for 2026 World Cup, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, also placed Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea alongside Al Annabi.

Yesterday’s draw decided the fates of 18 Asian sides, which advanced from the second qualifying round. These teams were divided into three groups comprising six teams each, with winners and runners-up from each group to qualify directly for the World Cup to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Marquez Lopez’s Qatar, who topped their group in the second round after an unbeaten run, will open their campaign against the UAE at home on September 5 with the Qualifiers scheduled to continue until June 10, 2025.       

The group opponents will meet on home-and-away basis with Iran – ranked 20th in the FIFA rankings – being the biggest challenge for World No.35 Qatar, who made their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022.