A source at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has told 'Al Ittihad' that the away goals rule with a doubled score is not being applied in the final qualifying playoff stage for the 2026 World Cup. The source explained that the AFC has approved the mechanism to break a tie in the Asian playoff match between the UAE and Iraq. If the two-legged tie ends in a draw on aggregate, it will go to extra time during the second leg to be held at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq. The extra time will consist of two 15-minute periods and will form part of the second leg's match time. If the tie remains unresolved after extra time, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout in accordance with the laws of the game.
