The Saudi Arabian national football team secured a crucial 1-0 victory over China in the seventh round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, played on Thursday evening at the “King Saud University Stadium” in Riyadh. The match was pivotal for the Green Falcons’ aspirations to qualify for the upcoming World Cup.
The only goal of the match came courtesy of Saudi star Salem Al-Dosari in the 50th minute, propelling Saudi Arabia to a vital three points. The match also saw China reduced to 10 men just before halftime, with defender Lin Liangang receiving a red card in the 45th minute.
With this win, Saudi Arabia, led by head coach Hervé Renard, has accumulated 9 points, moving up to third place in Group D. Meanwhile, China remains stuck on 6 points, sitting at the bottom of the group. Japan leads the group with an impressive 19 points, followed by Australia in second with 10 points. The top two teams in the group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the remaining teams will enter a knockout stage to compete for the remaining spots.
The Saudi team has now won two matches in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, boosting their chances after a slow start. With three crucial matches left, including encounters against Japan, Bahrain, and Australia, the Green Falcons will need to secure victories in all of them to have a shot at finishing second and securing automatic qualification.
Saudi Arabia’s upcoming matches include a tough away fixture against Japan on March 25, a trip to Bahrain on June 5, and a home game against Australia on June 10. With Japan already qualifying, Saudi Arabia’s best chance for direct qualification lies in securing the runner-up spot in the group.
If Saudi Arabia finishes in third or fourth place, they still have a slim chance of progressing through the intercontinental playoff, where they will face other third-place teams from different groups.
