Arab harvest after two stages. Egypt and Morocco hover… and a hexagon between hope and goodbye

Before the decisive phase, read about the eight realities

After the end of the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the picture of the Arab national teams has become clearer.

While Egypt and Morocco continue strong performances that have qualified them for the knockout stages, Algeria have revived their hopes after a poor start, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq are hanging on by a difficult mathematical thread, while Jordan and Tunisia have officially bid farewell to the competition.

Egypt and Morocco… the bright front of the Arabs

Egypt continued to establish themselves as one of the biggest surprises of the current edition of the World Cup, overturning their deficit against New Zealand with a deserved 3-1 win, the first in their history, to take their lead to four points ahead of a crucial showdown against Iran in the final round.

The Egyptians’ performance was not limited to the result, but rather reflected the character of a team capable of competing. The players recovered from an early deficit and were able to impose their physical and technical superiority in the second half, confirming that the draw against Belgium in the opening game was not just a passing result, but rather an indicator of real preparation.

Likewise, Morocco continued to emerge as one of the strongest teams outside the traditional contenders as they scored a valuable goal against Scotland to move up to fourth point after a remarkable draw against Brazil in the first round.

The Atlas Lions are on the verge of qualifying for the next round and have a real chance to finish top of the group stage if they maintain their form in their last encounter against Haiti.

The Lions are looking to repeat their impressive success in Qatar after finishing fourth, and why not go further and compete for a place in the finals given the Kingdom of Morocco’s impressive footballing renaissance.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar…sad blow and big complications

On the other hand, the second round was difficult for the teams of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia faced a Spanish side that regained their attacking brilliance in a heavy 4-0 defeat that leaves the Greens in a difficult position ahead of the final round.

After performing well against Uruguay in their opening game, the team looked less organized and focused against the Spaniards, leaving them with just one point and needing a win against Cape Verde to secure promotion.

As for Qatar, they went from the euphoria of a historic draw against Switzerland to one of the worst Arab defeats in World Cup history after a clean sheet against Canada revealed the extent of the defensive and mental agony the team felt throughout the match.

The Qatari side now sit just one point off the bottom of their group, putting them ahead of needing a win over Bosnia in the next round.

Iraq and Jordan…a triumph of logic

The Iraqi national team appeared in one of the most difficult groups of the tournament. In the second round, it lost 3-0 to France, a result that seemed logical in light of the difference in ability and experience of the two teams.

Although a slim mathematical chance still remains, the task looks very difficult for the Mesopotamian Lions, whose current participation has taken on a huge moral value after returning to the World Cup after a 4-decade absence.

Iraq needs to beat a strong Senegal team in the third round in hopes of securing a place in the top three.

As for Jordan, it officially ended its dream of qualifying after a second consecutive loss, this time to Algeria 2-1.

Despite the bitterness of the farewell, Al-Nashama made a positive impression in their first appearance at the World Cup after they showed fighting spirit and managed to score against their more experienced opponents.

Algeria is coming back…and Tunisia is sinking further

After falling to Argentina in the first round, Algeria managed to turn things around with a crucial 2-1 win over Jordan, reviving their qualification hopes and advancing to the final against Austria.

The win not only gave the Desert Warriors 3 points, but also restored the team’s confidence and proved its ability to bounce back from a difficult start, putting its destiny in its own hands ahead of the crucial stage.

In addition, Tunisia continued their suffering with another 4-0 loss to Japan, following a rough 1-5 loss to Sweden in the opening round that knocked the Carthage Eagles out of the competition.

With no points and a disastrous goal difference, Tunisia’s participation shifted from competitive ambitions to trying to avoid a tougher exit, especially as the latest technical change with the appointment of Herve Renard has yet to reflect on the team’s performance on the pitch.

Where do the Arab teams stand ahead of the finals?

Egypt and Morocco are the closest to qualifying in the Arab world, while Algeria regained their position in the qualification race after their victory over Jordan.

As for Saudi Arabia and Qatar, they are still clinging to complex mathematical hopes, while Iraq need a mathematical miracle to stay in contention.

On the other hand, the adventure of Jordan and Tunisia has officially ended.

After only two rounds, it can be said that the Arab scene has been clearly divided into 4 tracks: Egypt and Morocco are in the position of real competitors, Algeria is in the category of return seekers, and Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq are in the circle of difficult hope, and Jordan and Tunisia are experiencing the reality of an early farewell.

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