Riyadh, October 15 (QNA) - Saudi Arabia have secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a goalless draw with Iraq in the final match of Group B in the Asian playoff round, held in Jeddah.

Both Saudi Arabia and Iraq finished the group stage with four points, each having defeated Indonesia. However, the Saudi team claimed top spot and the direct qualification berth thanks to a superior goal difference — having scored three goals against Indonesia compared to Iraq's one.

With the result, Saudi Arabia becomes the seventh Arab nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, joining Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria.

Iraq, meanwhile, will face the United Arab Emirates — runners-up in Group A — in a two-legged playoff for a place in the intercontinental playoff, which will determine the final qualification spot.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature an expanded format with 48 teams for the first time in the tournament's history.

This marks Saudi Arabia's seventh appearance at the World Cup, having previously qualified in 1994 (USA), 1998 (France), 2002 (South Korea and Japan), 2006 (Germany), 2018 (Russia), and 2022 (Qatar).

Asia has been allocated 8.5 slots in the expanded tournament. With Saudi Arabia and Qatar now joining Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Australia, and Jordan, eight teams have already booked their tickets to the finals, leaving only one intercontinental playoff slot to be decided. (QNA)