Doha, June 04 (QNA) - Iran's national football team coach, Amir Ghalenoei, has affirmed his team's determination to secure a positive result against hosts Qatar Thursday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in the ninth round of Group A qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ghalenoei emphasized that despite Iran having already qualified for the World Cup, tomorrow's match remains highly significant.

He said that they want to preserve their international ranking and remain among the top teams in Asia, stating that his squad will see several changes due to injuries affecting seven players. Younger players are expected to take the field, with full confidence in their ability to deliver a strong performance.

Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi highlighted the respect his team has for Qatar, acknowledging the quality and experience of their squad.

He said that the match will largely depend on both teams' focus, adding that they have been in camp for several days now, and while their team features many young players due to injuries, adding that they understand the challenge ahead, especially as Qatar is in urgent need of a victory, they are used to competing in matches of this intensity.

Tomorrow's other Group A matches include UAE vs. Uzbekistan in Abu Dhabi and North Korea vs. Kyrgyzstan in Riyadh.

Iran leads the group with 20 points and has secured qualification, followed by Uzbekistan (17 points), UAE (13), Qatar (10), Kyrgyzstan (6), and North Korea (2).

The final round of the group stage will take place on June 10, with Qatar facing Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan meeting UAE in Bishkek, and Iran playing North Korea in Tehran.

The top two teams from each group qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams advance to the fourth round, competing for two additional World Cup spots and one intercontinental playoff berth. (QNA)