Mancini’s Saudi Arabia taking shape: 5 things learned from Asian World Cup qualifiers

RIYADH: The journey toward qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, with Asia’s big guns kick-starting their campaigns over the past week.

With the tournament expanding to feature 48 teams for the first time, there is increased interest down the line as nations that have historically fallen short now fancy their chances of securing a place at football’s global showpiece.

After the first two match days of the second round of qualifying, there are five things we learned.

Palestine full of fight

Given the circumstances of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the Palestine team could have been forgiven if their minds were elsewhere during the international window.

Having only just escaped into Jordan to allow them to prepare, many left behind family and friends stuck in the firing line making for an incredibly stressful few weeks for every member of the team.

While their short-term future is unknown ahead of the Asian Cup in just a few months — returning to Palestine may not be an option — their performances against Lebanon, and especially Australia, showed how much potential exists in the side.

A goalless draw with Lebanon was a fine way to start the campaign, and although they ultimately lost 1-0 to Australia, the performance from Makroum Dabab’s side was one to be proud of. Were it not for a heroic save from Socceroos goalkeeper Mathew Ryan just before half-time, Palestine could even have snatched a draw.

While no one knows what the future holds for Palestine, on the back of these two games they can dream of reaching the third round.

Saudis start in style and build for the future

Coming into the latest round of matches with just one win from their past 11 games, there was a slight bit of pressure on Roberto