Kuwait vs Palestine

Kuwait and Palestine will face off at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on Thursday in a crucial third-round Asian World Cup Qualifying match, both teams clinging to slim hopes of advancing to the next stage.

With just two matches left, Palestine sit four points behind fourth place—the final position for advancing to the fourth qualifying round—while Kuwait are a further point back, five points adrift of the top four. A win is essential for either side to keep their qualification dreams alive heading into the final matchday.

Kuwait, returning to action for the first time since March, are desperate to stay in the race for World Cup qualification. They progressed from the second round as group runners-up, securing seven points from six matches to reach Group B in the third round.

However, Al-Azraq have struggled, languishing at the bottom of the group with only five points from eight games. Despite losing just three matches, they’ve failed to secure a single win, with their latest results in March yielding a heartbreaking 2-2 draw against Iraq—where they squandered a 2-0 lead from Yousef Nasser’s brace—and a 1-0 loss to Oman, with Issam Al Sabhi scoring the decisive goal. Trailing fourth place by five points, Kuwait must win on Thursday to have any chance of a final-day push.

Palestine, meanwhile, are also in dire need of a victory to keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive. Like their hosts, they advanced from the second round in second place, earning eight points behind group leaders Australia. Their third-round campaign has been challenging, with only three points from seven matches before their last game, including four losses and three draws.

A 3-1 defeat to Jordan in March left them on the brink of elimination, but a dramatic 2-1 win over Iraq in their most recent match revived their campaign. Wessam Abou Ali’s 88th-minute equalizer and Ameed Mahajneh’s stoppage-time winner secured the vital three points. Now sitting one point above Kuwait but four points shy of fourth, Palestine need another victory and favorable results elsewhere to stay in contention.

Both sides face a must-win scenario, with Kuwait and Palestine banking on a strong performance to carry their qualification hopes into the final round of matches next week.