How Saudi Arabia and Qatar benefited from rule changes to reach the World Cup
Published on: Nov. 1, 2025, 11:35 p.m. | Source: The Economic Times
For the first time, it appears to have had an effect on events on the field, too. The Qatari and Saudi national teams secured places in October in next summer's World Cup after soccer's governing body in Asia -- a recipient of lavish funding from the two Persian Gulf states -- changed qualification rules to give them home-field advantage, extra rest days and access to more tickets for fans.
