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What: 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Round Three)
Where: Jaber Al-Ahmed Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
When: Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Kickoff: 21:15 Jerusalem Time
TV/Streaming: Subscribe to Football Palestine on Substack to receive a streaming link to your inbox one hour before kickoff.
Previous Encounters:
15.10.2024 // 2026 WCQ // Kuwait 2:2 Palestine
18.01.2021 // Friendly // Kuwait 0:1 Palestine
11.05.2018 // Friendly // Kuwait 2:0 Palestine
21.03.2013 //Friendly// Kuwait 2:1 Palestine
08.12.2012 //2012 WAFF// Kuwait 2:1 Palestine
25.06.2012 //2012 Arab Cup// Kuwait 2:0 Palestine
22.12.2011 // 2011 Pan Arab Games// Kuwait 3:0 Palestine (AET)
08.10.2003 // 2004 ACQ // Kuwait 4:0 Palestine
05.10.2003 // 2004 ACQ // Kuwait 2:1 Palestine
25.12.2002 // 2002 Arab Cup // Kuwait 3:3 Palestine
Last Chance Saloon for Kuwait
Round Three of Asian World Cup qualifying has defied all expectations and Group B might be the pick of the litter. It is the only group that has yet to produce a finalist or an eliminated team through eight rounds of play.
As such the final two match days should make for some blockbuster football and this match is no different. A year ago, Kuwait scraped into Round Three by the skin of its teeth. The team failed to convince in spite of being handed a relatively easy group.
Al-Azraq’s only wins came against Afghanistan who were going through a player revolt at the time. India won on Kuwaiti soil and held their more illustrious opponents to a draw on the subcontinent. Qatar swept their Gulf neighbours and were so comfortable they could afford to field a second string side against India.
The Qatar-India match of the last match day of Round 2 looked to be headed India’s way after they took a lead in the 37th minute. Qatar scored a phantom goal with just over a quarter of an hour left to play. With VAR not utilized until Round Three the goal stood in spite of the ball going out of bounds. Qatar went on to win the match- giving Kuwait the helping hand they needed to get to Round 2.
Fast forward twelve months and Kuwait are a completely different proposition. Revitalized under Juan Antonio Pizzi who has not changed the personnel but lifted them with structure and a sense of belief.
Avoiding defeat on five out of eight occasions was not something most prognosticators would have predicted.
Kuwait’s problem? They have yet to record a win and if they fail to do so against Palestine they will be eliminated.
Kuwait have been one of the most efficient sides in terms of finishing scoring 7 goals on 53 total shots. A meager 14 of those shots were on goal. Kuwait’s luck might be running out though after failing to score against Oman at home the last time out in a 1-0 loss.
Boosting Kuwait’s chances are the return of Yousef Nasser from suspension who is responsible for five of the seven goals scored by the team in Round Three.
Eyes Elsewhere
If Al-Azraq want to progress to Round 4 they will be heavily reliant on results in other matches going their way. Kuwait’s path looks to be nearly impossible. To advance they would need to not only win this game but also make history by beating Korea Republic for the first time in a quarter century.
Kuwait also needs several results to go their way. That includes Oman vs. Jordan which kicks off two hours and fifteen minutes before their encounter against Al-Fida’i.
Anything less than a Jordan win functionally eliminates Kuwait. Kuwait could conceivably advance over Oman with 11 points and a superior goal difference but with a five goal gap in favour of Oman it looks highly improbable.
Kuwait would also need Palestine to beat Oman on the final matchday as well.
For Palestine, there are three qualifying scenarios:
- Win vs. Kuwait and Oman AND Oman loss or draw vs. Jordan in Muscat on MD9
- Win vs. Kuwait and Oman AND Iraq loses against both Korea Republic in Basra and Jordan in Amman. The teams would be even on 12 points but Palestine would need to overhaul Iraq on goal difference (currently -5 to +1)
- Draw vs. Kuwait, win vs. Oman AND Oman loss vs. Jordan in Muscat on MD9. Palestine could sneak through on superior goal difference or goals scored with both teams finishing on ten points.
The first is the most realistic scenario. Oman have not beaten Jordan in 13 years- a run that spans ten games. The last time the two teams met in Amman Oman suffered a 4-0 shellacking.
The ideal scenario for Palestine would be for the match to end in a draw- as it has seven out of the last ten times. That would significantly decrease Kuwait’s qualifying route while also putting Palestine’s destiny firmly in their hands.
Pizzi leaves out the big names
Immediately following Kuwait’s loss to Oman in March rumors swirled that Juan Antonio Pizzi would be relieved from his post for leaving the country without permission.
Those turned out to be just rumors and the Copa America winner is back- seemingly with a license to build for the future. It seems that the focus has now shifted to the Arab Cup at the end of the year and the Asian Cup in 2027.
Kuwait’s Emir Cup competition starved Pizzi of time to prepare the team. 24/26 players played the semifinal matches on May 29th and May 30th. If the higher-up at the Kuwait Football Association expect Pizzi to pull off a miracle they are doing nothing to help him.
The former Valencia manager was confident enough to cull several veterans from the squad. Centreaback Khaled Ebrahim and midfielder Sultan Al-Enezi were mainstays for Kuwait throughout qualification but both are gone- the fact that they turn 33 this year a factor. Also falling victim to the youth movement are left back Sami Al-Sanea (32) and centreback Salman Boremya (33).
In their place a raft of twenty-somethings have been called in. Other than the two veteran goalkeepers there are only three players over the age of 30 in the squad.
Palestine Locked In
The national team has been in Qatar since mid-May and flew out ot Kuwait on June 2nd to join up with Wessam Abou Ali, Oday Dabbagh, and Moustafa Zeidan. A 6-0 drubbing of amateur side Musheireb SC concluded their stay in the Qatari capital.
The only blight on preparations was a minor knock picked up by captain Musab Al-Battat but he is expected to recover and start at right back.
Hamed Hemdan is suspended after accumulating back-to-back yellow cards in March. It is likely the squad will not feature too many changes apart from Hemdan making way for the more offensively minded Adam Kaied.
The key for Palestine in this game will be to attack Kuwait early and often. Palestine started off well in the first match back in October but inexplicably dropped back after a bright opening ten minutes. Kuwait had a chance on goal on twenty minutes then won a penalty kick with the lightest of contacts.
Palestine scored before the half but a dubious sending off five minutes into the second half made Palestine’s comeback efforts even harder.
Palestine will need to approach this game as if they are trying to overturn a two goal deficit. Score early- get an insurance goal and see the game out.
Judging by this poll- Kuwait’s fans have already given up hope- and it will be up to Palestine to make sure that pessimism reigns on the night.
