12-07-2025
Oman hunting for historic maiden Fifa WC appearance
MUSCAT: As the highly anticipated draw for the Playoff Round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 approaches, the Oman national football team are preparing for a monumental opportunity to secure their first-ever qualification to the Fifa World Cup. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in a recent update on its official website, highlighted that Oman and Indonesia are the only two teams among the playoff contenders aiming to book a historic debut appearance at the Fifa World Cup. Meanwhile, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates will seek their second-ever qualification, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia will aim to make back-to-back appearances in the prestigious global event.
The draw for the decisive stage of the Asian qualifiers for Fifa World Cup 2026 will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am (Oman time). Based on the latest Fifa Men's World Rankings published on June 13, Oman will be placed in Pot 3, alongside Indonesia. Qatar and Saudi Arabia, designated as host nations for the two playoff groups will occupy Pot 1 while Iraq and UAE teams are positioned in Pot 2.
The playoff format will see the six teams split into two groups of three, with only the group winners progressing directly to the Fifa World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each group will compete in a single round-robin format, hosted in centralised venues by the Qatar Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, both of whom were confirmed as Host Member Associations last month.
These Playoffs represent the final pathway for six Asian teams after they secured third or fourth place in their respective groups during the third round of AFC qualifiers. Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will now battle for Asia's remaining two direct berths. The journey does not end for group runners-up, as they will face off in a two-legged knockout round scheduled for November 13 and 18. The winner of that matchup will advance to the Fifa Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament, where one final qualification spot will be contested globally. A separate draw will be held after the group stage to determine the home team for each leg of this knockout encounter.
Oman's national team, led by head coach Rasheed Jaber, will head into the Playoffs with determination and national pride. By end of August, Oman team will take part in the CAFA (Central Asian Football Association) Nations League 2025, a friendly international tournament which is scheduled from August 26 to September 9, co-hosted by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Oman has been drawn into Group A alongside hosts Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, while Group B featured Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Malaysia. Attendance in this friendly event is part of the team's ahead of the main assignment in Asian qualifiers – Roard to 26.
