For decades, the qualification of even one Arab nation for the FIFA World Cup was considered a major achievement. But this year, a record eight Arab teams have qualified for the quadrennial event, namely Qatar, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Their presence reflects the rapid growth of Arab football. The milestone is even more significant considering that both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups featured only four Arab teams, while earlier editions had just one or two representatives.
Arab football’s World Cup journey dates back to Egypt becoming the first Arab nation to qualify in 1934, while Morocco became the first to progress beyond the group stage in 1986 and make the semifinals in 2022.
Here is a look at the eight Arab teams competing at this year’s World Cup, which kicks off in a month.
QATAR
GROUP B
Qatar, Canada, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina
COACH: Julen Lopetegui
KEY PLAYER: Akram Afif
WC APPEARANCES: 2 (2022, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Group stage (2022)
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 0, DRAWN: 0, LOST: 3
Qatar will play in their second consecutive World Cup, after previously qualifying automatically as hosts in 2022. This time, however, the Maroons earned their place through qualification.
The two-time reigning AFC Asian Cup champions will be determined to improve on their home World Cup campaign, where they exited in the group stage without a point. Qatar will rely heavily on stars like Akram Afif and Almoez Ali to progress.
MOROCCO
GROUP C
Morocco, Brazil, Haiti, Scotland.
COACH: Mohamed Ouahbi
KEY PLAYER: Achraf Hakimi
WC APPEARANCES: 7 (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Fourth place (2022)
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 5, DRAWN: 7, LOST: 11
Morocco will enter the tournament carrying the expectations of an entire region after their remarkable 2022 World Cup campaign, where they became the first Arab and Arican nation to reach the semifinal stage. They defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal enroute to the last-four stage.
With stars like Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz and Yassine Bounou in their ranks, Morocco will once again target a deep run at the tournament.
SAUDI ARABIA
GROUP H
Saudi Arabia, Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay.
COACH: Georgios Donis
KEY PLAYER: Salem Al Dawsari
APPEARANCES: 7 (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (1994)
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 4, DRAWN: 2, LOST: 13
Saudi Arabia, who qualified for a third consecutive World Cup, will hope to recreate the success of their iconic 1994 campaign, when they reached the Round of 16.
The Green Falcons gained worldwide attention after defeating eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Led by captain Salem Al Dawsari, Saudi Arabia will aim for a strong run.
TUNISIA
GROUP F
Tunisia, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
COACH: Sabri Lamouchi
KEY PLAYER: Seifeddine Jaziri
APPEARANCES: 7 (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 3, DRAWN: 5, LOST: 10
Tunisia remain in pursuit of a historic first appearance in the World Cup’s knockout stages. The Eagles of Carthage have regularly qualified for the tournament, but have never advanced beyond the group stage. They will rely on experienced players like Seifeddine Jaziri and Naim Sliti to do the heavy lifting.
ALGERIA
GROUP J
Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan.
COACH: Vladimir Petkovic
KEY PLAYER: Riyad Mahrez
APPEARANCES: 5 (1982, 1986, 2010, 2014, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2014)
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 3, DRAWN: 3, LOST: 7
Algeria return to the World Cup stage after missing both the 2018 and 2022 editions. The Desert Foxes will be hoping to rediscover the form that topok them to the Round of 16 at Brazil 2014.
Led by experienced players like Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri, Houssem Aouar, and Mohamed Amoura, Algeria will have one of the tournament’s strongest Arab attacking squads.
EGYPT
GROUP G
Egypt, Belgium, Iran, New Zealand.
COACH: Hossam Hassan
KEY PLAYER: Mohamed Salah
APPEARANCES: 4 (1934, 1990, 2018, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 0, DRAWN: 2, LOST: 5
Egypt’s main target at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be securing a first-ever victory in the tournament. The Pharaohs, who appeared at multiple World Cups, have yet to win a game.
With Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush leading the side, Egypt will hope to finally break the losing streak.
IRAQ
GROUP I
Iraq, France, Senegal, Norway
COACH: Graham Arnold
KEY PLAYER: Aymen Hussein
APPEARANCES: 2 (1986, 2026)
BEST FINISH: Group stage (1986)
OVERALL RECORD: WON: 0, DRAWN: 0, LOST: 3
Iraq are back at the World Cup stage for the first time since 1986, ending a 40-year absence.
The Lions of Mesopotamia will look to experienced striker Aymen Hussein, alongside Ali Al Hamadi and Amir Al Ammari, as they seek a first-ever World Cup win.
JORDAN
GROUP J
Jordan, Argentina, Algeria, Austria
COACH: Jamal Sellami
KEY PLAYER: Mousa Al Tamari
APPEARANCES: 1 (2026)
OVERALL RECORD: Debutants
Jordan will make their FIFA World Cup debut after an impressive run to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final. The Nashama have emerged as one of Asia’s fastest-rising teams and will hope to surprise everyone.
Mousa Al Tamari and Yazan Al Naimat are expected to be key figures as Jordan aim to become the tournament’s dark horses.
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