JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia's hopes of direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Tuesday night after a 2-1 home defeat to Australia at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The result left the Green Falcons third in Group C with 13 points, sending them to the Asian playoff round. Herve Renard's side needed a near-impossible five-goal win to leapfrog Australia in the standings and claim the group's second automatic qualification spot. Despite taking an early lead through Abdulrahman Al Obod in the 19th minute, goals from Connor Metcalfe (42') and Mitchell Duke (49') sealed the win — and World Cup ticket — for the Socceroos, who now join Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan as Asia's six confirmed representatives at the 2026 finals. The loss marks another frustrating chapter for Saudi Arabia, who will now compete in the fourth-round playoff alongside other third- and fourth-place finishers from the qualifying groups. Six teams will be split into two groups of three, with only the group winners advancing to the World Cup. The runners-up will face off in a playoff for a chance to reach the intercontinental playoff. Al Obod gave Saudi Arabia hope with his close-range finish after a setup by Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan. The home crowd erupted, but the momentum was short-lived. Australia equalized before the break, as Duke's pass found Metcalfe unmarked in the box. The midfielder took a touch before powering the ball past goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi. Just after halftime, Duke struck again, this time heading in from a set-piece to complete the comeback. Saudi Arabia's frustration grew when VAR overturned a red card shown to Australia's Mitchell Duke and later awarded a penalty to the hosts after Al-Dawsari was fouled. But Al-Dawsari's spot-kick was saved, and substitute Marwan Al-Sahafi missed the rebound, firing wide from close range. The Green Falcons finished the campaign with just 13 points and six goals in 10 matches — a statistic that reflects their attacking struggles throughout the qualifiers. Australia, meanwhile, secured their seventh consecutive World Cup appearance and became the 11th team to qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament, joining co-hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico, along with Argentina, New Zealand, and five other Asian teams. The AFC playoff draw is set for July 17, with Saudi Arabia expected to be one of the top seeds. Despite the setback, Renard's men still have a path to North America — but it just got much longer.
