Shocked by Iraq, Thailand was eliminated immediately in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup

The reigning runner-up Thailand surprisingly fell to Iraq, concluding their campaign in the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship quarterfinals.

The Thai futsal team stunned everyone by losing 2-4 to Iraq in the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship quarterfinals. Notably, Thailand was highly rated, ranked 8th in the world and 2nd in Asia, and the defending runner-up, yet they were defeated by Iraq, who are only ranked 49th globally.

Iraq’s first chance came after an impressive dribble by Tareq Zeyad, who created space for Haedr Majed to shoot, but his shot went over the crossbar. Maintaining control against Thailand, Iraq scored the opening goal in the 7th minute thanks to an outstanding solo run by Salim Kadhim from midfield before assisting Mustafa Ihsan to finish with a heel shot past goalkeeper Nuttapong Yeemarep.

That goal woke Thailand up, and they equalized two minutes later when a contest inside Iraq’s penalty area gave Panut Kittipanuwong the chance to pass to Muhammad Osamanmusa, who easily tapped the ball into the net.

The Southeast Asian team then had a chance to take the lead, but Ibrahim Ahmed blocked Osamanmusa’s close-range shot, and Panut’s curling shot hit the crossbar, keeping the match very balanced going into halftime.

Iraq regained the lead two minutes after the break, with Kadhim’s speed once again troubling Thailand. He sprinted past defenders on the right wing before passing to Ihsan, who finished with a precise low shot into the bottom corner.

In the final minutes, Thailand conceded two more goals, allowing Iraq to extend their lead to 4-1. Chaowala Sriarwut scored a consolation goal in the 40th minute, but it was only honorary as the West Asian team secured their long-awaited spot in the semifinals.

Vietnam’s team faces challenges ahead of the Asian futsal quarterfinals

Vietnam’s futsal team trains on the match field ahead of the quarterfinals