Australia Secures Sixth Consecutive World Cup Final Berth with Victory Over Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, Australia secured their spot in the World Cup finals for the sixth consecutive time, triumphing over Saudi Arabia with a 2-1 victory in an Asian qualifier held in Jeddah.

Following their impressive win against Group C leaders Japan in Perth last week, the Socceroos needed only to ensure they avoided a significant defeat to the Saudis to confirm their place in next year’s finals in North America.

With the requirement to fend off a five-goal loss, Australia’s goals from Connor Metcalfe and Mitch Duke led them to a stunning comeback, effectively dispatching the Saudi team.

The home side took an early lead when Abdulrahman Al-Obud found the net from close range in the 19th minute, but Metcalfe struck back with an equaliser just three minutes before half-time, dousing Saudi hopes.

In the second half, Duke gave Australia the advantage in the 48th minute by directing Martin Boyle’s free kick past goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi. Maty Ryan, making his 100th appearance for the Socceroos, clinched the win with a crucial late penalty save against Salem Al-Dawsari, preserving Australia’s lead.

This victory cements Australia’s position as the second-placed team in Group C, trailing only Japan, who secured their qualification in March.

Saudi Arabia finished third in Group C and will advance to a fourth round of qualifiers in October, alongside teams from Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Oman.

Oman kept their qualification hopes alive by securing a draw against Palestine, thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Issam Al-Sabhi, retaining their fourth place in Group B.

Palestine initially took the lead in the 49th minute with a header from Oday Kharoub, but a second yellow card for Oman’s Harib Al-Saadi shifted momentum in Palestine’s favour. However, in the dying moments, Muhsen Al-Ghassani was fouled in the box, allowing Al-Sabhi to net the penalty and eliminate the heartbroken Palestinians.

In earlier matches, Japan dominated Indonesia with a 6-0 victory, as Daichi Kamada scored twice in the first half. The Samurai Blue finished at the top of Group C, while a late penalty from Wang Yudong saw China end their campaign with a 1-0 win over Bahrain.

Iran confirmed their status as Group A winners with a decisive 3-0 victory over North Korea, after Kye Tam was sent off with 24 minutes remaining in Tehran. Mehdi Mohebi, Mehdi Taremi, and Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh all scored in the final 16 minutes, ensuring Iran’s top position, having already clinched qualification in March.

Uzbekistan, who had already qualified, took second place with a 3-0 win against Qatar in Tashkent, while the United Arab Emirates finished third despite a late equaliser conceding a 1-1 draw with Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek.

South Korea finished their Group B fixtures with an emphatic 4-0 win over Kuwait, ensuring that Hong Myung-bo’s squad topped the standings with an unbeaten record. Meanwhile, Jordan, who qualified for their first World Cup on Thursday, concluded Group B in second place, despite narrowly losing 1-0 to Graham Arnold’s Iraq in Amman.