Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup qualifier match.
Both Saudi Arabia and Japan are expected to deliver only one outcome at this stage of qualification—a confident progression to the final stages of the 2026 World Cup. While Japan have made an impressive start with two resounding victories, Saudi Arabia have fallen slightly behind, dropping points in their game against Indonesia (1:1).
Saudi Arabia
In that encounter, Saudi Arabia were far superior in creating chances (20-7 in shots and 65-35 in possession), but their attacking leaders faltered in conversion, Salem Al-Dawsari from Al-Hilal failed to convert a penalty. Away to China (2:1), the Saudi Arabian side showed character when, at 0:1 down, Mohamed Kanno was sent off—the team managed to snatch a victory, despite adopting a cautious approach with five defenders.
Japan
The impressive form of the Japanese national team, who have secured six consecutive clean sheet victories since March, is largely due to the level of competition. Certainly, the team deserve praise for their thrashings of China (7:0) and Bahrain (5:0), but they were expected to overcome these opponents. The leading striker Ayase Ueda is struggling to find form at club level (two goals in nine games for Feyenoord), so against a strong defence, Japan's attack might falter.
Saudi Arabia vs Japan Prediction
The 3-4-2-1 formation allows Saudi Arabia to play deep against top-tier attacks—this setup can neutralise Japan's dangerous pressing game. In a match between two competitors, we can expect a battle for every opportunity—they'll need to play cautiously.
