The national teams of Saudi Arabia and Iraq face off in a fiery battle for a direct qualification spot to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, meeting Tuesday in Jeddah as part of the fourth round of Asian qualifiers, with the host having the advantage of needing only a draw.

Saudi Arabia overturned a deficit against Indonesia and won 3-2 with two goals from Firas Al-Buraikan on Wednesday in Jeddah, which also hosted the second match on Saturday in Group B that favored Iraq, who secured a late win over Indonesia with a beautiful goal by Zidan Iqbal.

Saudi Arabia leads the group with three points, ahead of Iraq on goal difference, meaning a draw is enough for them to reach the finals for the third consecutive time and the seventh time in their history.

The first-placed team in each group qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the runners-up play home-and-away matches on November 13 and 18, 2025, for a chance to reach the global playoff.

In addition to the two qualification chances, Saudi Arabia enjoys a three-day rest advantage over Iraq, which dreams of a second World Cup appearance since the 1986 Mexico edition when they exited in the first round.

However, French coach Hervé Renard’s squad will miss defensive midfielder Mohammed Kanno, who was sent off in the match against Indonesia after coming on as a substitute late in the game.

Renard’s trust in Al-Ahli midfielder Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, who had only three international caps, paid off as he scored the equalizer with a beautiful shot.

But the coach, in his second stint with the “Green Falcons” after leading them in the 2022 World Cup, must be cautious of his defense, which faced 17 Indonesian shots, 10 of which were on target.

Renard expressed frustration at his team’s inability to secure a more comfortable win: “We didn’t start the match well, but our reaction was excellent. At one point, we were leading 3-1 and had additional chances to score, and we should have sealed the match completely.”

He added: “In the end, we conceded a second penalty and came under heavy pressure, but that pressure was due to ourselves because we should have finished things earlier.”

Regarding the crucial upcoming match, the coach who previously led Zambia and Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations titles said: “We must be smart in the second match to ensure qualification for the World Cup. When you are a coach, you can’t do anything without the players. I have great confidence because they give me that trust, and I know they are determined and focused on their goal.”

“Don’t celebrate yet”

On the other hand, Iraq failed to score in only three matches out of 16 since the second round, but doubts surround the participation of their star forward Ayman Hussein, who missed the Indonesia match due to injury, although he took part in recent training sessions with the “Lions of Mesopotamia.”

Since Australian coach Graham Arnold arrived five months ago, he has relied heavily on Hussein as a striker in matches against Jordan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, before savior Mohannad Ali appeared in the King’s Cup matches in Thailand, securing the title last month thanks to his goal-scoring skills.

The 62-year-old former Australian national team coach said: “I am proud of the players and the effort and work they put in, but I know we can be better.”

He continued: “We haven’t achieved anything yet. We won one match, and that’s good, but the most important now is recovery, good sleep, and proper preparation for Tuesday’s match.”

Iraq will also miss their central defender Zaid Tahseen, who was sent off at the end of the first match.

Arnold added: “We wanted to score the second and third goals, but the red card was a bit crazy, and we had to finish the match with ten players. However, the players’ discipline, fighting spirit, and effort were excellent.”

He concluded: “I want to send a message to all the Iraqi people and fans: don’t celebrate yet, we still have one match to win.”