Qatar team came close to pulling off a major upset by eliminating the defending champions and host nation Brazil after delivering a strong and thrilling performance that ended in a narrow defeat in the second round of the King's Cup, currently taking place in the city of Sao Paulo.
Despite the defeat of all four Arab teams in the second round, the national teams of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Morocco maintained their chances of progressing, benefiting from their victories in the opening round. All four teams will now head into the decisive third round of the group stage, scheduled for the end of this week.
In one of the most exciting matches of the tournament so far, the Qatari team put in an impressive performance against Brazil, who played in front of strong home support and in the presence of several global football icons. Former Brazilian star Kaká scored the 'President’s Kick' in the first half amid wide celebrations from the crowd, while Neymar was present on the bench to support the host team.
Earlier in the match, Qatar’s captain and content creator AboFlah successfully converted his first 'President’s Kick' of the tournament, giving his team a significant morale boost. By the 36th minute, with the game entering 'Matchball Mode', Qatar took a 6–4 lead, leaving them just one goal away from eliminating Brazil, who had lost their opening match to Spain.
However, the hosts mounted a comeback in the closing minutes and managed to turn the score around, netting the winning goal in the 48th minute through striker Libaô Pinheiro. Brazil thus secured the victory, while Qatar exited the match disappointed despite a brave and eye-catching performance.
Arab teams suffer second-round losses
The second round also witnessed other Arab defeats, as Chile defeated Morocco 6–1 in Group One, despite Morocco’s strong start to the tournament. Player Nader Louah scored the Atlas Lions’ only goal, shifting Morocco’s focus to their third match against the Netherlands, a crucial opportunity to recover and keep qualification hopes alive.
In Group Three, the match between Algeria and France ended in a 5–5 draw before France secured the win through penalty shootouts.
Saudi Arabia also lost to Indonesia on penalties after a 3–3 draw in regular time. Despite the loss, group results and standings indicate that Saudi Arabia holds a relative advantage among the Arab teams to qualify for the quarterfinals. They face India in the third round, boosted by the return of their captain and content creator Drabha, who continues to provide strong technical and leadership influence.
The third round of the group stage will take place at the end of this week. The top team from each group will qualify directly for the knockout stages, while second-placed teams and the best third-placed teams will compete in the 'Last Chance' round.
Arab fans are eagerly anticipating these decisive fixtures, hoping their national teams will continue their journey into the advanced stages of the global tournament.