Japan First to Qualify for 2026 World Cup
Japan has become the first team to officially qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing their spot with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium, Al Jazeera reports.
The Samurai Blue’s win guarantees them a top-two finish in Asia Group C, earning them automatic qualification to the expanded 48-team tournament.
Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo sealed the victory for Japan, marking their eighth consecutive appearance at the World Cup. They join co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the competition.
Earlier in the day, Australia took a significant step towards their seventh World Cup appearance with a dominant 5-1 victory over Indonesia in Sydney. The match marked Indonesia’s first game under new coach Patrick Kluivert.
Despite Kevin Diks missing an early penalty for Indonesia, Australia quickly capitalized with Martin Boyle converting a penalty in the 18th minute. Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine added to the scoreline before halftime, and Lewis Miller extended the lead to 4-0 in the second half. Ole Romeny scored a consolation goal for Indonesia before Irvine completed his brace, securing a comfortable win for the Socceroos.
The top two teams from each of the three six-team groups in the third round of Asian qualifying will automatically advance to the World Cup. Teams finishing in third and fourth place will proceed to a further stage to compete for two additional qualifying spots.
