By Josh Gilbert The 2026 World Cup arrives with a record eight Arab nations on the team sheet. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Iraq. That is double the previous record set in 2018 and the strongest Arab representation the tournament has ever seen. Jordan qualifies for the first time, while Iraq returns after 40 years away. According to Josh Gilbert, Lead Analyst, Middle East at eToro, the scale of a modern tournament is enormous.