Iran vs Qatar

Unbeaten Iran will host an unreliable Qatar team at Rashid Stadium on Tuesday night in an AFC World Cup qualifier with the goal of solidifying their top two position in Group A.

On Thursday night, the Maroons achieved a much-needed maximum against futile Kyrgyzstan, while Team Melli played out a share of the spoils with section leaders Uzbekistan.

Tuesday's hosts are having a successful start to the third round of AFC action. Iran is on a mission to qualify for football's biggest tournament again in 2026 after losing to Gareth Southgate's England and USA in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

At the Milliy Stadion in Tashkent, Team Melli continued their theme of cagey affairs on Thursday night after winning back-to-back 1-0 victories over bottom-place Kyrgyzstan and United Arab Emirates during the September international window. However, they were forced to share the points with Group A pacesetters Uzbekistan.

Iran is currently in second place in the six-team group after collecting seven points from their first three games in the third round of qualification. The top two teams in Group A after ten games will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Mehdi Taremi and fellow attacker Sardar Azmoun, who was on loan at Roma last season while his former parent club Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title as the invincibles, are the most recognizable faces in Team Melli's ranks after securing a high-profile move to Serie A champions Inter Milan during the summer transfer window.

Tuesday's hosts are having a successful start to the third round of AFC action. Iran is on a mission to qualify for football's biggest tournament again in 2026 after losing to Gareth Southgate's England and USA in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

At the Milliy Stadion in Tashkent, Team Melli continued their theme of cagey affairs on Thursday night after winning back-to-back 1-0 victories over bottom-place Kyrgyzstan and United Arab Emirates during the September international window. However, they were forced to share the points with Group A pacesetters Uzbekistan.

In this round of qualifying, Qatar will be looking to improve significantly on their most recent away performance on September 10, when the 2022 World Cup hosts were only able to secure a share of the spoils against a winless North Korea.

Tintin Marquez's team is currently in fourth place in the section standings, three points behind second-place Iran, who are in the bottom of the automatic spots for the World Cup, after amassing a consistent four points from their first three Group A games.