Eight Arab nations will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, raising the prospect of more teams from the region making an impact on FIFA’s championship.
Read on as we analyze which Arab teams could reach the knockout stages of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Morocco is the flag bearer
Morocco is the strongest Arab team and will carry the weight of expectations after an unforgettable run to the semi-finals in Qatar 2022.
After changing the perception of what is possible for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) teams, the Atlas Lions will be hoping to go one step further despite moving on from head coach Walid Regragui.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi will lead the team, while Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz offers plenty of creativity in the final third.
Brazil will be a formidable opponent in the group stage, but Morocco will back themselves to reach the last 16 ahead of Scotland and Haiti.
Morocco are priced at 150/1 to win the World Cup and many Arab bookies will be willing to bet on them making a deep run this summer.
The Arab world cup betting sites listed on Arabworldcupbet will be flooded with bets backing the Atlas Lions to reach at least the round of 16.
Egypt and Algeria could advance
Egypt have previously failed to live up to expectations at the World Cup, but could change the story this summer.
Opponents in the group stage, Belgium, are not the superpowers they used to be, while Iran and New Zealand are beatable.
Consistency is Egypt’s biggest problem. However, if Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush shine in the group stage, they can make their first appearance in the knockout stage.
Algeria is a dark horse among Arab teams. Manager Vladimir Petković has extensive experience in knockout football, as he managed Switzerland for seven years.
Argentina is expected to top Group J, but the battle for second place is open. Austria are dangerous, but Algeria will believe they can overcome regional rivals Jordan.
Algeria are not producing the same caliber of talent as they did ten years ago, but they could improve if they get a bit of luck along the way.
Qatar and Jordan are fighting hard battles
Qatar and Jordan have reason to be optimistic, but converting that optimism into performances and results is a different game.
Qatar caught the eye by winning the Asian Cup, but their World Cup qualifying result exposed serious weaknesses.
New manager Julen Lopetegui is keen to improve the squad but they are heavily dependent on Akram Afif for inspiration.
Jordan qualified for the World Cup for the first time. They have shown they can frustrate teams at the 2023 Asian Championship, but the World Cup is a completely different set-up.
Qualification is possible for both teams, but they will have to be near perfect and hope that results elsewhere will work in their favour.
Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Iraq need something special
Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have been steadily emerging on the world stage in recent years, but both have very difficult tasks.
Spain and Uruguay in Group H have three World Cups between them and will be big obstacles. Saudi Arabia’s attacking struggles could also haunt them.
The Tunisians are usually organized and hard to break, but they are in a group that leaves little room for error.
In Group F, they face the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden, three teams that can punish even the smallest lapses in defense. Tunisia’s lack of elite attacking talent could prove costly.
Returning to the World Cup after a 40-year absence is already a great achievement for Iraq. But the lot was not in their favor.
They face 2022 runners-up France, a Norwegian side led by Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Odegaard and African powerhouse Senegal.
Manager Graham Arnold has experience managing a group of underdogs. Players such as Zidane Iqbal and Ali Al-Hamadi will relish the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage.
