Doha: Qatar suffered a 4-1 defeat to Russia in a friendly held today at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, as part of preparations for the fourth round of the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to Qatar News Agency, Akram Afif scored Qatar's solace goal in the 61st minute, while Russia's goals came from Aleksandr Golovin (33'), Matvey Kislyak (35'), Ivan Sergeev (45'), and Aleksei Miranchuk (68').

This match marked Qatar's second international friendly during the ongoing September FIFA window. The Asian champions had previously drawn 2-2 with Bahrain last Wednesday.

Qatar, ranked 53rd globally, have been placed in Group A of the AFC fourth-round playoff draw alongside UAE and Oman. Group B includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia.

The playoffs will be hosted in a single round-robin format, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia each hosting their respective groups from October 8 to 14.

Qatar will kick off their playoff campaign against Oman on October 8, followed by a clash with UAE on October 14. Oman and UAE will meet on October 11.

According to the playoff format, the winners of each group will secure direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the runners-up will face off in a two-legged playoff on November 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will advance to the intercontinental playoff for a final chance at qualification.