The first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup

Group C standings, 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

At home, Japan dominated the game with 61% possession and 12 chances. After only 9 minutes, the Bahrain net shook after Wataru Endo's shot. However, the "Blue Samurai" goal was disallowed due to a handball.

In the second half, Bahrain tried their best to defend but could only hold out until the 66th minute. Takefusa Kubo passed the ball just enough for Daichi Kamada to break through and beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one. In the 87th minute, Kubo continued to make his mark with a goal that sealed a 2-0 victory for the home team, from an assist by Junya Ito.

This result officially helps Japan to qualify for the 2026 World Cup 3 matches early. Coach Moriyasu and his team are 13 points ahead of the 3rd place team, Saudi Arabia. Regardless of the results of the last 3 matches, Japan cannot be eliminated from the group of 2 teams with tickets to North America.

Kubo shines against Bahrain.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian team received positive news when Bahrain also failed to score points in the match against Japan. This caused the position of coach Patrick Kluivert and his team to change in a short time.

After losing 1-5 to Australia on the afternoon of March 20, Indonesia dropped to 5th place with 6 points and a goal difference of -7, behind Bahrain. However, Indonesia immediately took over 4th place from Bahrain because the Middle Eastern representative lost 0-2 to Japan.

After the 7th round, Indonesia and Bahrain have the same 6 points and a goal difference of -7, but the team from Southeast Asia is ranked higher thanks to scoring more goals (7 compared to 5). In the next round, Indonesia will have a decisive match against Bahrain at home. The winner will have the advantage in the race for a ticket to the play-off.