Japan team lost record, Indonesia lost first match

The 4th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia has ended. Most of the strong teams won, creating a clear division in all 3 groups. Below are the notable highlights.

Japan team lost record

Japan entered the match against Australia on the back of a seven-game winning streak, scoring 28 goals and conceding none. They had not lost to Australia since 2009, and were playing at home.

However, Japan played a deadlocked match against the kangaroo team, even falling behind after Taniguchi's own goal in the 58th minute. Fortunately, timely adjustments by coach Hajime Moriyasu helped Japan equalize 1-1 after Burgess's own goal.

This result means Japan can no longer maintain their winning streak and keep a clean sheet, but they still lead Group C with 10 points.

Iran team makes impressive comeback against Qatar

In Group A, Iran only scored 2 goals in the first 3 matches of the 3rd qualifying round. Their attack was considered ineffective despite having many excellent players.

However, against Qatar, Iran played explosively. Despite falling behind after a goal by Almoez Ali, Iran successfully came back with a brace from Azmoun and Mohebi, to win 4-1 overall.

This result helps Iran to firmly hold the top position in Group A with 10 points, equal to Uzbekistan but with a better goal difference. In addition, they also successfully avenged Qatar after losing 2-3 to this opponent in the Asian Cup semi-finals in early 2024.

Indonesia lost the first match

Indonesia's unbeaten streak was ended on the Chinese pitch, with a 1-2 loss. They conceded two early goals from Abduweli and Zhang Yuning in the first half. It wasn't until late in the second half that Haye was able to pull one goal back for the Southeast Asian team.

This result caused Indonesia to miss the opportunity to rise. They are second to last in Group C with 3 points, still above the Chinese team. There are still many opportunities for Shin Tae-yong and his team to compete directly for a ticket to the World Cup or to the 4th qualifying round. In this group, apart from the very strong and far-leading Japan team, the remaining teams such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are all playing inconsistently. In fact, the Indonesian team is only 2 points behind the 2nd place Australia.

Korean team shows impressive strength

The Korean team had an impressive 3-2 home win over Iraq, despite not having captain and number 1 star Son Heung-min in the squad. Coach Hong Myung-bo built a reasonable strategy to deal with the injuries of many key players.

With two previous victories over Iraq and Jordan, the Korean team is firmly at the top of Group B with 10 points. They are confident of winning a ticket to the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time.