Qatar qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the UAE in Doha. Boualem Khouki and Pedro Miguel’s second-half headers secured the hosts’ position in next year’s finals, which will be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Khouki opened the scoring four minutes after the restart, heading in Akram Afif’s precise free kick. Afif, who was recently named Asian Player of the Year, was again decisive in the 74th minute, providing another curling free kick from the left to Miguel, who increased Qatar’s lead with a close-range header.

Tarek Salman was sent off for a dangerous tackle in the dying stages of the game, reducing Qatar to 10 men. The UAE capitalised late in stoppage time when Sultan Adil’s low shot found the corner, but the hosts maintained their composure to secure the win after more than fifteen minutes of added time.

With this result, Qatar leads Group A with four points, three ahead of the UAE and one ahead of Oman in the fourth round of Asian qualifying. Qatar will make its second consecutive World Cup appearance, following their debut as hosts in 2022.