Australia Secures Qualification for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Australia clinches its place in the upcoming World Cup after a victory against Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia faces playoff challenge.
Australia has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 2-1 victory against Saudi Arabia in an away match.
The victory means that Saudi Arabia must enter a playoff to secure its spot in the tournament, which is set to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Australia, a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 2006, joins five other teams from the continent that are already qualified for the World Cup: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.
This marks the eleventh country overall to secure a place in the tournament.
In the match held on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia initially took the lead with a goal from Abdulrahman Al Aboud in the 19th minute.
However, Australia turned the game around with goals from Connor Metcalfe in the 42nd minute and Mitchell Duke shortly after halftime.
Australia had entered the match with a significant advantage, as Saudi Arabia needed to win by at least five goals to overtake the Socceroos in the qualification standings.
This will be Australia’s seventh appearance at a World Cup, and it is the sixth consecutive tournament they have qualified for, with their first entry dating back to 1974. Australia's best performances came at the round of 16 stage in both the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated by Italy and Argentina, respectively.
Saudi Arabia, which previously achieved a notable victory against Argentina during the last World Cup, will now face further challenges in the fourth round of Asian qualification, starting in October.
They will compete alongside Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Oman, forming two groups of three teams.
The winners of each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will compete against each other for a chance at an intercontinental playoff, which also involves teams from Concacaf, Africa, Conmebol, and Oceania, including New Caledonia.
As of now, the following teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Concacaf: United States, Mexico, Canada (co-hosts)
South America: Argentina
Asia: Japan, Iran, Jordan, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Australia
Oceania: New Zealand
The victory means that Saudi Arabia must enter a playoff to secure its spot in the tournament, which is set to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Australia, a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 2006, joins five other teams from the continent that are already qualified for the World Cup: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.
This marks the eleventh country overall to secure a place in the tournament.
In the match held on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia initially took the lead with a goal from Abdulrahman Al Aboud in the 19th minute.
However, Australia turned the game around with goals from Connor Metcalfe in the 42nd minute and Mitchell Duke shortly after halftime.
Australia had entered the match with a significant advantage, as Saudi Arabia needed to win by at least five goals to overtake the Socceroos in the qualification standings.
This will be Australia’s seventh appearance at a World Cup, and it is the sixth consecutive tournament they have qualified for, with their first entry dating back to 1974. Australia's best performances came at the round of 16 stage in both the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated by Italy and Argentina, respectively.
Saudi Arabia, which previously achieved a notable victory against Argentina during the last World Cup, will now face further challenges in the fourth round of Asian qualification, starting in October.
They will compete alongside Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Oman, forming two groups of three teams.
The winners of each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will compete against each other for a chance at an intercontinental playoff, which also involves teams from Concacaf, Africa, Conmebol, and Oceania, including New Caledonia.
As of now, the following teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Concacaf: United States, Mexico, Canada (co-hosts)
South America: Argentina
Asia: Japan, Iran, Jordan, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Australia
Oceania: New Zealand
