Saudi Arabia Defeats 10-Man China to Revive World Cup Hopes

Saudi Arabia secured a crucial 1-0 victory over China in Riyadh on Thursday, keeping their hopes alive for automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A second-half goal from Salem Al-Dawsari proved decisive as the Green Falcons moved up to third place in Group C, just one point behind Australia and three points ahead of Indonesia, Bahrain, and China.

Vital Win for Saudi Arabia

Japan continued to dominate the group, sealing their qualification with a 2-0 win over Bahrain, maintaining a commanding nine-point lead. Meanwhile, Australia’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Indonesia earlier in the day had increased the pressure on Saudi Arabia, who had struggled with just two points from their previous four qualifiers. With a daunting trip to Japan ahead, the Saudis knew that anything less than a win against China would put their qualification hopes in serious jeopardy.

As expected, Saudi Arabia controlled the game from the outset. Midway through the first half, they nearly broke the deadlock when Al-Dawsari set up Nawaf Boushal on the left side of the penalty area. The Al-Nassr star curled a shot that struck the underside of the crossbar but failed to cross the line.

Minutes before halftime, Faisal Al-Ghamdi thought he had given the home side the lead after converting a cross from Musab Al-Juwayr. However, VAR intervened and ruled the goal out due to a handball by Al-Ghamdi.

China Reduced to 10 Men

China suffered a major setback in first-half injury time when Lin Liangming was sent off for a reckless challenge on Hassan Kadesh. The Saudi defender, who had scored twice in their previous encounter against China, had to be carried off the field due to the injury.

With a numerical advantage, Saudi Arabia made their dominance count just five minutes into the second half. Ayman Yahya’s shot was parried away by Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei, but the rebound fell to Saud Abdulhamid, who set up Al-Dawsari for an easy finish. The goal ended Saudi Arabia’s 410-minute goal drought in the qualification campaign.

Saudi Arabia Pushes for Second Goal

Despite their lead, the Green Falcons continued to attack, looking for a second goal to seal the win. While they failed to add to the scoreline, their resolute defense ensured China never threatened an equalizer.

With three matches remaining, Saudi Arabia remains in contention for one of the two automatic qualification spots. The top two teams in the six-nation group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter a play-off phase.

The victory provides a much-needed confidence boost for Saudi Arabia ahead of their crucial fixture against Japan, where they will aim to keep their World Cup dreams alive.