In the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Saudi Arabia defeated Pakistan 4-0 on Thursday at Al-Fateh Stadium in Al-Ahsa, the Kingdom.
Pakistan had a good start, giving up just one goal in the opening 45 minutes. But in the second half, Saudi Arabia took control and won handily, scoring three goals.
Saudi Arabia’s first goals came from Saleh Al-Shahri in the sixth and 48th minutes, then from Abdul Rahman Ghareeb in the 91st and Abdullah Radif in the 96th.
Throughout the match, Saudi Arabia dominated possession and capitalised on Pakistan’s defence being weaker owing to Eash Suliman’s injury. The team’s captain and defender, Suliman, was much missed.
According to their respective FIFA rankings—Saudi Arabia at 57 and Pakistan at 193—the match went as planned, with Saudi Arabia winning.
It should be mentioned that Pakistan is participating in the Asian Qualifiers for the first time.
When Saudi Arabia and Pakistan last faced off, it was in the latter country’s home in 1978, when the Shaheens fell 6-0.
The other teams in Pakistan’s group are Tajikistan and Jordan. The top two countries will advance to the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, while the lowest two teams will play each other in the third round. These four teams will play each other both at home and away.
Saudi Arabia has already qualified for the main event on the continent, having been selected as the host nation for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Pakistan’s next scheduled qualification match is now scheduled for November 21 in Islamabad versus Tajikistan; the other two matches will take place in March and June of the following year. The top two advance to the third qualifying round, which consists of three groups of 18 teams.
