SAITAMA, Japan — In a decisive 2-0 victory over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium on Thursday, Japan secured its spot as the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
With second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo, the Samurai Blue guaranteed their position among Asia Group C’s top two automatic qualifications.
This marks Japan’s eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, joining co-host nations the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the enlarged 48-team event.
Japan’s head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, expressed gratitude for the players’ dedication and the supporters’ unwavering encouragement, remarking, “We knew that if we persevered, the goals would come. We aim to win our remaining three games and continue to grow as a team.”
Australia, meanwhile, made significant strides towards securing a place at their seventh World Cup with a commanding 5-1 win over Indonesia in Sydney. This match also marked Indonesia’s debut under their new coach Patrick Kluivert.
In a challenging start, Indonesia’s Kevin Diks missed a penalty just eight minutes in. In contrast, Martin Boyle converted his penalty ten minutes later, putting the Australian Socceroos ahead.
Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine added to the scoreline before halftime, with Lewis Miller extending the lead to 4-0 at the hour mark. Although Ole Romeny netted a consolation goal for Indonesia, Irvine secured another for Australia, completing the host’s five-goal tally.
The World Cup qualifying format allows the top two teams from each of the three six-team groups in the third round of Asian qualifying to advance. Teams placing third and fourth will have another opportunity to compete for two additional slots.
In Group B, South Korea maintains its lead and path for an 11th consecutive World Cup berth, despite a 1-1 draw with Oman in Goyang, near Seoul. Hwang Hee-chan scored just before halftime, while Ali Al-Busaidi netted an equalizer for Oman in the 80th minute.
Reflecting on the team’s journey, South Korea’s captain, Son Heung-min stated, “People may think this qualification round is easy, but we have to work so hard for every match. A match like this can teach us a lesson, and we have to take whatever positive we can from this.”
South Korea sits at 15 points, three ahead of both Jordan and Iraq. Jordan claimed a 3-1 victory against the Palestinian team, while Iraq was held to a 2-2 draw with Kuwait.
Turning to Group A, Iran secured 19 points after triumphing over the United Arab Emirates 2-0 in Tehran, maintaining a three-point lead over Uzbekistan, victorious 1-0 against Kyrgyzstan. Both the UAE and Qatar, who triumphed over North Korea with a score of 5-1, are at 10 points.