The MENA Countries at the 2026 World Cup, and Those Still in the Race

With just under four months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, the tournament is shaping up to be a historic one for countries in the Arab world.

At present, seven MENA countries have qualified for the World Cup, while one still has an extra play-off before their fate can be sealed.

Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, and Tunisia have all bagged themselves a spot in next summer’s competition. Of particular significance was Jordan’s first-ever time qualifying for the World Cup, an event that proves that no eventuality when it comes to a bigger Arab and North African presence in the tournament is out of the question.

On the other end of the spectrum, Iraq is still vying for the opportunity to make their first World Cup appearance since Mexico 1986. In doing so, the country will have to face Bolivia or Suriname before it can add their name to an already impressive roster of MENA participants.

QUALIFIED

SAUDI ARABIA

An emerging global football giant, Saudi Arabia has cemented their place in a World Cup once again.

The Green Falcons gave audiences a memorable match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when they beat Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 in Qatar. In fact, the game was so significant that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman declared the following day a national holiday.

Despite this victory, Saudi’s 2022 World Cup run was short-lived and were swiftly knocked out of the tournament after losing 2-0 to Poland and 2-1 to Mexico.

Once again, Saudi Arabia will have the opportunity to face another South American team when they take on Uruguay in their first 2026 FIFA World Cup match on 15 June at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Internationally, some Saudi players have gotten their first taste at competing in European leagues. For instance, Saud Abdulhamid moved to Serie A club AS Roma in 2024 and is currently on loan at Ligue 1 team Lens. Similarly, 22-year-old Saudi international Marwan Al-Sahafi is currently on loan at Belgian club Antwerp from Al-Ittihad.

These developments could make for a stronger, more lethal Saudi team at the World Cup next summer.

Morocco

A regional favourite after coming in fourth place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, there have been great expectations placed on Morocco to replicate their former success.

In 2022, the Atlas Lions shocked the world when they beat the all-powerful Spain in an intense penalty shootout by 3-0 in the round of 16. They then went on to secure an impressive 1-0 victory against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter finals. 

However, in a cruel twist of fate, Morocco ended their streak by losing 2-0 to France in the semi-finals before ending their World Cup campaign following a 2-1 loss against Croatia during the 3rd place playoff.

While an unfortunate ending, Morocco’s 2022 World Cup prowess would continue to live in the minds of millions of fans as they became the first African nation to advance to the semi-final round, all while the tournament was being held in the Arab world for the first time.

Egypt

Egypt is back to prove they belong on the global stage.

Heartbreakingly, the team missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a painful double defeat to Senegal. First, they lost to Senegal on penalties in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations final in February 2022. Then, just weeks later, they were eliminated again by Senegal — this time in the CAF World Cup playoff — ending their hopes of reaching Qatar.

Indeed, Egypt’s captain Mohammed “Mo” Salah has made his presence known during Egypt’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored two goals in Egypt’s 0-3 win against Djibouti on 8 October 2025, solidifying his country’s place at the tournament next summer.

Egypt will start off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Belgium on 15 June 2026 at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Qatar

As the hosts of the last World Cup, Qatar are not going to miss out on the action anytime soon.

While they were responsible for the spectacle that was the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar did not last as long as they would have liked at the tournament. The team lost 0-2 against Ecuador in their opening match before meeting the same fate with a 1-3 loss against Senegal and a 0-2 loss to the Netherlands.

Consequently, the 2026 edition marks the second time that the Gulf country has qualified for a World Cup and is reflective of Qatar’s rapid progress in the world of football.

Qatar’s inaugural 2026 FIFA World Cup match will be against Switzerland on 13 June at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Jordan

Making history with their FIFA World Cup debut, Jordan will be representing something special next summer.

While an amazing result, Jordan’s journey has been a long one. After a period of positive buildup over several years, Jordan took a major turn for the better in early 2024 when then-manager Hussein Ammouta coached his team to their first Asian Cup final. Although they

lost 1-3 to hosts Qatar, it was after their 2024 Asian Cup campaign that Jordan’s ranking rose to its highest of 70th for the first time since September 2014.

With this renewed sense of confidence, Jordan secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Oman 3-0 on 5 June 2025.

Jordan’s achievement shows that anything is possible in the realm of football and that through grit comes results.

Jordan’s first-ever World Cup game will be against Austria on 17 June at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Algeria

Algeria will be marking a comeback as they embark on their fifth World Cup in 2026.

Their re-emergence marks a much needed turning point with the North African team having been absent from the past two World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

Despite their past shortcomings, Algeria has a rich history on football’s greatest stage. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the country reached the round of 16 for the first time before they lost 2-1 to future winners Germany in extra time. In 1982, they shocked the world by beating then-European champions, West Germany and Chile.

It’s safe to say Algeria might have another opportunity to relive their former glory.

Algeria will start their 2026 World Cup campaign against reigning champions Argentina on 17 June at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Tunisia

With their seventh World Cup in store, Tunisia is aiming to make it out of the group stage for the first time.

While the Eagles of Carthage are far from newbies when it comes to the raw pressure of the FIFA World Cup, Tunisia has not yet cracked the code to progress to the knockout stage.

Even though not ideal, Tunisia’s qualifying journey was nothing short of momentous.

 After achieving six straight wins, collecting 28 out of 30 points in their Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifying group and not conceding a goal in 10 matches, Tunisia could be more of a threat to its World Cup opponents than previously thought.

SECOND CHANCES

Iraq & UAE

After beating the UAE in November, the Iraqi national team are in the running to face either Bolivia or Suriname in a final play-off on 31 March.

As previously mentioned, if Iraq does, in fact, prove successful in their quest to appear at the tournament, it will mark their first World Cup since that of Mexico in 1986.

However, due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Iran may withdraw their participation from next summer’s tournament. If such an eventuality comes to pass, either the UAE or Iraq will take their place. 

Provided that Iraq fails to qualify on the back of their extra play-offs, they would be the first to replace a withdrawn Iran at the World Cup. 

If Iraq does reach the finals, the UAE as the next highest-ranked Asian country to not have a place at the finals, would gain a play-off spot.