Is Pakistan out of FIFA world cup race?
Saudi football striker Firas Tariq Nasser Al-Buraikan scores twice to hand Pakistan defeat
Islamabad: Saudi Arabia defeated Pakistan 3-0 on Thursday at Islamabad's Jinnah Stadium, as the two sides locked horns in the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches of Group G.
Saudi Arabia scored its first goal in the 27th minute and the second in the 41st minute, both by Saudi footballer Firas Al-Buraikan.
Pakistan faced an uphill battle in the second half of their World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia after conceding two goals in the first half. Despite attempting to regroup and launching a few attacks, their efforts were cut short by a third goal from Saudi Arabia's Musab Fahd Al-Juwayr in the 51st minute. This effectively sealed the match for the visitors, leaving Pakistan with a significant deficit to overcome.
This was the second FIFA World Cup qualifier match between the two teams, and it was Saudi Arabia's first visit to Pakistan.
In the previous match played in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, in November 2023, Saudi Arabia defeated Pakistan 4-0.
“Our last home game of the FIFA WCQ ends in defeat,” the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) wrote on social media platform X.
In the FIFA qualifier tournament, Pakistan is grouped with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan in Group G. The green shirts will face Tajikistan on June 11 in Dushanbe in what will be their final round 2 away fixture.
In the second round of the qualifiers, a total of 36 national teams are divided into nine groups, each containing four teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the crucial third round, bringing them closer to the World Cup dream. Pakistan will be looking to bounce back after their recent defeat to Saudi Arabia and secure valuable points in their upcoming matches against Jordan and Tajikistan.
It is notable that due to continuous defeats in five matches, the Pakistani team is now out of the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.