Palestine’s efforts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup garnered plenty of attention from the watching world.
Ihab Abu Jazar’s team were bidding to make history by reaching the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, against the backdrop of the appalling human consequences of Israel’s military action in Gaza.
The team progressed to the third round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying section, where they more than held their own in a group that included continental powerhouses South Korea.
Below, we take a look at how their efforts panned out, and why there was such controversy concerning their game with Oman in June 2025.
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Did Palestine qualify for 2026 World Cup?
Palestine did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup as they were eliminated at the third-round stage of the Asian qualifying section.
They finished in fifth place in Group B, missing out on fourth — and a place in the fourth round of qualifying — by a single point.
South Korea and Jordan claimed the top two spots in that pool to earn automatic places at the World Cup, while Iraq and Oman finished third and fourth, thereby progressing to the next phase of qualifying.
It was Palestine’s decisive final game against Oman that caused huge controversy in June 2025.
What happened in Palestine vs. Oman World Cup qualifier?
Palestine went into their 10th and final game of Group B knowing that, if they were to beat Oman, they would climb above them in the table and progress to the fourth round of qualifying.
They took the lead early in the first half of the game, which was held at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan. Oday Kharoub headed home a corner in the 49th minute to give them the advantage.
Palestine held out until deep into second-half stoppage time, when Oman were awarded a contentious penalty. Iranian referee Mooud Bonyadifard pointed to the spot after Ahmed Taha was judged to have tripped Muhsen Al-Ghassani as he attempted to reach a cross. VAR chose not to recommend a change to the onfield decision, despite contact appearing to be minimal at best.
Issam Al-Sabhi converted the penalty in the seventh minute of added time to earn Oman a 1-1 draw that was enough to keep them in fourth place.
The Palestine Football Association called on FIFA to investigate the decision “to uphold sporting justice and ensure the integrity of international competition”, and demanded the game be replayed. Football’s governing body rejected the request.
Have Palestine ever played at the World Cup?
Palestine have never played at the World Cup before.
They only became a recognised member of FIFA after the tournament in 1998, before which they were ineligible to take part. They have since gone no further than the third round of the AFC’s qualifying section.
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