Palestine secures spot in soccer Asia Cup

Palestine booked their place at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup on Tuesday after finishing second following a match against Australia amid a visa controversy.

Palestine faced Australia at Perth Rectangular Stadium as part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

The match took place amid tensions between the two nations after Palestine accused Canberra of refusing to grant a visa to Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association.

Despite losing 5-0, Palestine finished second in their group with eight points, securing a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia and advancing to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers.