On Tuesday, Iraq and Australia secured their spots in the third round of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries with convincing wins over the Philippines and Lebanon, respectively. Iraq dominated the Philippines with a resounding 5-0 victory in Manila, marking their fourth consecutive win in the competition. Aymen Hussein scored twice in the first half, complemented by goals from Amir Ali Ammari, Zidane Iqbal, and Zayed Tahseen. This win propelled Iraq to the top of Group F with 12 points, comfortably ahead of Vietnam in third place.
Meanwhile, Indonesia strengthened their position in the group with a crucial 3-0 win over Vietnam in Hanoi. Jay Noah Idzes, Rangar Oratmangoen, and Muhammad Sananta found the net for Indonesia, putting them in a favorable position to advance to the next round of qualifying.
