Saudi Arabia secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Pakistan in Group G of the Preliminary Joint Qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 on Thursday. The match was held at the Al Fateh Club Stadium in Alhasa, Saudi Arabia.

Saleh Al Shehri wasted no time in putting Saudi Arabia ahead, scoring a goal within the first six minutes of the match. He then doubled his lead from the penalty spot in the 48th minute.

Muath Faqihi had an opportunity to extend the lead to 3-0 but narrowly missed the target. However, Saudi Arabia did not have to wait long for their third goal. In added time, Abdulrahman Ghareeb connected with a cross from Abdulhamid and slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Abdullah Radif scored the fourth goal in the dying minutes of the match, rounding off a dominant performance for Saudi Arabia.

The win was Saudi Arabia's first since their historic 2-1 triumph over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It also put them top of Group G with three points, following the 1-1 draw between Tajikistan and Jordan.

Pakistan will next face Tajikistan at the Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad on Tuesday, November 22.

Here are some additional details about the match:

• Date: Thursday, November 17, 2023
• Venue: Al Fateh Club Stadium, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia
• Attendance: 10,000 (estimated)
• Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

Saudi Arabia (4): Saleh Al Shehri (6', 48' pen), Muath Faqihi (75'), Abdulrahman Ghareeb (91'), Abdullah Radif (92')

Pakistan (0): No scorers

Man of the Match: Saleh Al Shehri (Saudi Arabia)

What does this result mean for Saudi Arabia?

This win is a major boost for Saudi Arabia's hopes of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They will now be confident of topping Group G and advancing to the next round of qualifying.

What does this result mean for Pakistan?

Pakistan will need to pick themselves up from this defeat and focus on their next match against Tajikistan. They are still in with a chance of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, but they will need to start winning games.