Inglewood [US], June 16 (ANI): The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) teams have so far shown they can compete strongly at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, with none of the six sides that have played so far suffering a defeat.
With six of their nine participating teams (Australia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan) already having begun their campaigns, AFC nations are still unbeaten, recording two wins and four draws, including results against strong opponents.
On the opening day of the World Cup, South Korea came from behind to defeat Czechia 2-1 in a thrilling Group A clash, earning a valuable three points at Estadio Akron in Mexico’s Zapopan.
After a goalless first half in which both sides created chances, the Czechia took the lead just before the hour mark through a header from captain Ladislav Krejci. However, South Korea quickly responded, with Hwang In-beom equalising before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winner late in the match.
Despite pressure from the Czech side and several key saves from both goalkeepers, South Korea held on to secure victory and boost their position in the group ahead of their next match against Mexico.
Then, two days later, Qatar, who are ranked 49th, earned their first-ever FIFA World Cup points after a late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against 19th-ranked Switzerland in San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Switzerland dominated much of the match, controlling possession and creating several chances, but repeatedly failed to convert, with missed opportunities from Dan Ndoye and others proving costly. Breel Embolo had given them the lead from a penalty in the first half.
Qatar also missed early chances, but Boualem Khoukhi struck in stoppage time with a powerful header to level the score and ensure both teams shared the points.
On the same day, Australia began their World Cup campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Turkey in Vancouver.
Teenager Nestory Irankunda made history by becoming the youngest Australian to score at a World Cup, finishing a well-worked move in the first half. Turkey created several early chances but were repeatedly denied by debutant goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who delivered a superb performance with eight saves to keep a clean sheet.
Australia sealed the win in the 75th minute when Connor Metcalfe scored from distance. The result gives Australia strong momentum heading into their next Group D match against co-hosts the United States.
Then came perhaps the most impressive performance so far as 17th-ranked Japan played out a 2-2 draw against eighth-placed Netherlands.
Japan’s Daichi Kamada scored a late equaliser in the 88th minute to rescue a point for Japan.
The Netherlands took the lead early in the second half through Virgil van Dijk, but Japan responded quickly with an equaliser from Keito Nakamura. Crysencio Summerville restored the Dutch lead in the 64th minute after a tightly contested match.
Despite the Netherlands dominating possession and creating more chances, Japan held firm and struck late to ensure both sides shared the points.
Then in the match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, the former managed to hold on to a 1-1 draw in Miami. Saudi Arabia took the lead just before half-time through Abdulelah Al-Amri after withstanding early Uruguay pressure.
Uruguay dominated possession and created more chances, but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais. Their persistence paid off in the 80th minute when Maximiliano Araujo scored the equaliser after an initial header from Federico Vinas was saved.
Despite Uruguay’s strong attacking display, the match ended level, with both teams sharing the points in Group H.
Then in the latest encounter of the World Cup, Iran and New Zealand played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in their World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. New Zealand took an early lead through Elijah Just, but Iran equalised via Ramin Rezaeian before half-time.
New Zealand regained the advantage in the second half through Just’s second goal, set up by Chris Wood, but Iran responded again with Mohammad Mohebbi’s header to level the score as both teams ultimately shared the points in a tightly contested Group G encounter.
So far, results have shown that AFC nations, often viewed as less prominent teams, are capable of competing strongly against established European and South American sides, who are not guaranteed easy victories.
However, the AFC’s unbeaten run in this World Cup so far could come to an end, as Iraq face Norway on Tuesday (local time), while Jordan and Uzbekistan go into their matches as underdogs against Austria and Colombia respectively. (ANI)
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