Saudi Arabia secured their place in the third round of the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Pakistan in Islamabad on Thursday night.

The Saudis took the lead through Al-Ahli forward Firas Al-Buraikan after 26 minutes and he added a second four minutes before the break to all but guarantee the victory most had expected. Musab Al-Juwayr wrapped up the scoring in the 59th minute.

The victory leaves head coach Roberto Mancini’s men top of Group G on 13 points from five games. With one game left in the second round, they cannot be caught by third-place Tajikistan, who later on Thursday were defeated 3-0 by Jordan and are on 5 points. Pakistan are bottom of the group after five defeats.

The Green Falcons will host Jordan in Riyadh on Tuesday in their final group game. Both teams have already qualified for the third round. The visitors are sitting in second place in Group G on 10 points but have a superior goal difference.

The Green Falcons defeated Pakistan 4-0 at home in the group opener last November and then a 2-0 win over Jordan in Amman put them in a comfortable position at the top of the group.

In March, the Saudis defeated Tajikistan 1-0 in Riyadh but the return match in Dushanbe a few days later ended in a 1-1 draw.

ISLAMABAD: The Saudi national football team completed the final preparations on Wednesday for their game against Pakistan in Islamabad on Thursday in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.
“The match tomorrow is important for us and we aim to win it to secure all the points and keep our position at the top of the group,” head coach Roberto Mancini said.
“We are happy to be in Islamabad and thank you for the warm welcome we have received since our arrival.”
After four games in the second stage of the qualifiers, the Green Falcons sit top of Group G on 10 points, followed by Jordan on 7 and Tajikistan on 5. Pakistan are bottom of the group, having lost all of their games so far.
Asked about the decision to travel to Pakistan the day before the game, Mancini said: “This is a practice we have applied in the previous two matches, against Jordan and Tajikistan, where we prefer to train at our own field and have the final training session at the match field.”
Pakistan have conceded 20 goals in four group games and scored only one, but Mancini refused to underestimate them, saying: “We respect the Pakistani team … there are no significant differences. It is a game of 11 players against 11 players. The most important thing for us is to be present, with high concentration, to achieve the goal we came for.”
After thanking Pakistan for the warm welcome the team received, midfielder Mukhtar Ali said: “Our focus is on Thursday’s match, which holds great importance for us. We aim to deliver a good performance and win the points.”
Next up after Pakistan, the Saudis will host Jordan in Riyadh on June 11.