Oman take on the visitors Qatar in the round 1 match of fourth qualification stage for World Cup 2026 in Asia. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 3st at Thani bin Jassim Stadium (Al Rayyan).
Oman used to play mostly at the regional level, but in recent decades they’ve made steady progress on the continental stage. Since their debut in 2004, they’ve only missed one AFC Asian Cup. However, they’ve reached the knockout stage just once, with the rest of their campaigns — including the most recent one — ending at the group stage. Expectations in qualification were modest too; the key goal was to remain among the top four in their group. After holding Palestine to a draw in the final round, Oman managed to keep their rivals behind by a single point — 11 to 10. Now, with experienced coach Carlos Queiroz arriving in the summer, they aim to surprise everyone in this short final qualifying round. Recently, Oman have looked organized defensively, conceding just three goals in their last five matches. Their main concern remains creativity in attack, but with Queiroz emphasizing discipline and quick transitions, the team has become increasingly difficult to beat.
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Qatar clearly expected a stronger campaign in this round. The Maroon played at the previous World Cup — a debut effectively “purchased” when the small but wealthy Gulf nation secured hosting rights. Unsurprisingly, their performance was underwhelming, but the experience did raise their overall level — highlighted by back-to-back AFC Asian Cup titles. Naturally, expectations for qualification were high. Yet, despite frequent managerial changes, Qatar only managed to avoid embarrassment. Under Julen Lopetegui, they finished fourth in their group, trailing even the UAE. Since then, their performances in friendlies have been unconvincing, with several lackluster displays. However, the focus is now entirely on achieving success in this decisive stage. Qatar still possess one of the most technically gifted squads in Asia, with Akram Afif and Almoez Ali continuing to be key attacking threats. But the team’s inconsistency and occasional lapses in concentration remain their biggest obstacle to re-establishing dominance in the region.
The Maroon have won 5 of the 6 meetings between the sides (and are unbeaten in their last 10 head-to-head games overall). However, at the end of last year, they suffered a rare 1-2 defeat to their neighbors in the Gulf Cup. The visitors are clearly the stronger side overall. We recommend backing them to win with a “-1.0 goals” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Qatar to win with -1.0 handicap.
