In a gripping encounter on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia secured a narrow 3-2 victory against Indonesia, inching closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The match, held in Jeddah, saw Saudi Arabia needing just one more win against Iraq next Tuesday to secure the top spot in Group B and book their seventh appearance in the prestigious tournament. The Asian qualifying format awards automatic berths to the winners of each group, while the runners-up proceed to a fifth round. Indonesia, under the guidance of former Netherlands and Barcelona star Patrick Kluivert, opened the scoring with Kevin Diks converting a penalty in the 11th minute. However, Saudi Arabia quickly responded with Saleh Abu Al-Shamat equalizing six minutes later. Firas Al-Buraikan then put the hosts ahead with a penalty in the 37th minute. Al-Buraikan extended the lead with another goal just after the hour mark, but Diks narrowed the gap with a second penalty in the 89th minute. Despite Mohamed Kanno’s red card in stoppage time, Saudi Arabia held on for the win. ‘One more step to go. God willing, we’ll make it happen,’ Al-Buraikan remarked in a post-match statement shared by the Asian Football Confederation. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s hopes of returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1938 hinge on their upcoming match against Iraq. In other Group A action, Qatar was held to a 0-0 draw by Oman, with both teams expressing mixed sentiments about their performances. Asia has eight automatic World Cup spots, with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Jordan already securing their places in the previous qualifying round.