In a thrilling encounter at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) secured a crucial 2-1 victory against Oman in the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This win places the UAE in a favorable position to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990, needing only a draw against host Qatar in their upcoming match on Tuesday. Oman, who had taken an early lead in the 12th minute through a deflected shot by Amjad Al Harthi, saw their hopes of automatic qualification dashed as the UAE staged a comeback. Marcus Meloni equalized in the 76th minute with a header from Ali Saleh’s cross, and Caio Lucas sealed the victory seven minutes later with a decisive goal that sent the 5,000 traveling UAE fans into jubilation. Despite the loss, Oman still has a chance to finish second in Group A and advance to the next qualifying round. In Group B, Iraq kept their World Cup dreams alive with a 1-0 victory over Indonesia, thanks to a 76th-minute goal by former Manchester United youth player Zidane Iqbal. Iraq must now defeat group leaders Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Tuesday to secure their first World Cup appearance since 1986. Indonesia, on the other hand, has been eliminated from contention following two consecutive losses.