According to FIFA's official records, the 2026 World Cup featured a historic number of Arab teams. Eight Arab nations qualified for the tournament, surpassing the previous record of four set in 2018 and 2022. This achievement marked a significant milestone for football in the Arab world.
The qualified teams included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, and Tunisia. However, the tournament did not result in any Arab team advancing past the group stage, with most teams eliminated early.
Analysts noted that while the record qualification demonstrated growing investment and development in Arab football, the lack of deep runs highlighted ongoing challenges in competing at the highest level. The tournament was co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
