Washington, April 1 (SANA) Eight Arab national teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring 48 teams in the largest edition of the tournament in its history.
The qualified teams are Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, and Jordan, surpassing the four Arab teams that participated in the 2022 World Cup.
Qualification came after a qualifying campaign that lasted more than two years, during which most teams secured their spots early, before Iraq joined through the intercontinental play-offs.
The Arab teams are divided equally between Africa and Asia, benefiting from the new system that provides more opportunities for qualification.
The draw resulted in the Arab teams being divided into seven groups, with some exciting matchups, most notably Morocco vs. Brazil and Iraq vs. France.
The group containing Algeria and Jordan will face a tough challenge against defending champion Argentina.
The World Cup is expected to witness a notable Arab presence, with Morocco predicted to reach advanced stages, along with promising opportunities for both Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while the remaining teams seek to achieve surprising results and confirm their presence on the world stage.
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