MUSCAT, JULY 16
The Oman national football team will learn their fate in the decisive stage of the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers as the playoff round draw will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am (Oman time). The draw which will be held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Malaysia, will mark the beginning of Oman’s last and most crucial push to achieve a historic maiden qualification to the Fifa World Cup.
The forthcoming phase of Oman’s football will be led by the veteran Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz, who was officially appointed as head coach on Tuesday by the Oman Football Association (OFA). The OFA confirmed the appointment via an official media statement on its social media platforms, expressing confidence in Queiroz’s ability to take Red Warriors into new heights. Queiroz, whose illustrious coaching career includes spells with the national teams of Iran, Egypt, Colombia, and South Africa, as well as a tenure as assistant manager of Manchester United, will bring a wealth of tactical international experience. His leadership is expected to be a key factor as Oman prepares to navigate one of the toughest phases in Asian football qualification. He will assisted by the Omani experienced coach Hamed al Azzani who is also in charge of Oman U-19 head coach.
The AFC playoff round will feature six teams including: Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as all of them finished third and fourth in their respective groups during the third round of qualification. These teams will be split into two groups of three, with only the group winners earning direct tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each group will play in a single round-robin format hosted at centralised venues. The Qatar Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have been confirmed as the official hosts for the playoff stage. The draw pots will be based on Fifa Men’s World Rankings as of June 13 as Qatar (53) and Saudi Arabia (58) in Pot one while Iraq (59) and United Arab Emirates (66) will be set at pot two. Oman (79) and Indonesia (118) are in pot three. The playoff set to be held during October 8 to 14 in Doha and Riyadh cities.
Oman’s fans hopes are high with the new leadership of Carlos Queiroz and the experience of a battle-hardened squad. All the audience will aim that Oman can make a historic breakthrough and join the global elite at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in the history.
The two teams which will end as runner-up in their group, they will still have a final opportunity to qualify through a Knockout Stage scheduled for November 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will progress to the Fifa intercontinental Play-Off tournament, offering one last chance at securing qualification.
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