Libya Hammer Indonesia 14–0 as Russia Launch Title Defense with Five-Goal Victory
Fahad Al-Qasim’s Hat-Trick Inspires Saudi Arabia to Thrilling Win Over Iraq
Media Office – Antalya
Antalya, Türkiye — The 2026 Minifootball World Cup kicked off in spectacular fashion on Monday, November 2, as the Turkish city of Antalya hosted four exciting opening-round matches in the group stage of the tournament, organized by the International Minifootball Federation (IMF).
The opening day saw Russia, Qatar, Libya, and Saudi Arabia claim important victories, setting the stage for an intense battle for semifinal qualification. The matches featured impressive attacking performances, high-scoring encounters, and a strong presence from Arab national teams.
Russia Launch Title Defense with Commanding 5–1 Victory Over Türkiye
Defending world champions Russia began their 2026 campaign in impressive fashion, securing a convincing 5–1 victory over tournament hosts Türkiye in the opening match of Group A.
The Russian side, crowned world champions in 2023, demonstrated their strength and attacking quality throughout the encounter, sending an early warning to their rivals that they are determined to retain their world title.
Meanwhile, hosts Türkiye will be looking to recover from their opening defeat and regain momentum in their remaining group-stage fixtures.
Qatar Thrash Tunisia 7–3 in Entertaining All-Arab Encounter
In the second Group A fixture, Qatar delivered an outstanding attacking performance to defeat Tunisia 7–3 in a thrilling all-Arab showdown that produced ten goals.
The emphatic victory gave Qatar a perfect start to their World Cup campaign, earning three valuable points in a competitive group featuring Russia, Türkiye, and Tunisia.
Tunisia, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back from the defeat and revive their qualification hopes in the upcoming matches.
Libya Dominate Indonesia with Stunning 14–0 Victory
Libya, runners-up in the 2023 Minifootball World Cup, produced the most remarkable result of the opening day, overwhelming Indonesia with an extraordinary 14–0 victory in their Group B opener.
The dominant performance underlined Libya’s determination to challenge for the world title once again, following their impressive run to the final in the previous edition.
The result also propelled Libya to the top of Group B on goal difference, giving them a commanding position heading into the next round.
Indonesia, on the other hand, face the difficult task of recovering from the heavy defeat as they prepare for their remaining group-stage matches.
Fahad Al-Qasim Hat-Trick Fires Saudi Arabia Past Iraq in Dramatic 3–2 Victory
In one of the most exciting encounters of the opening day, Saudi Arabia edged Iraq 3–2 in a fiercely contested all-Arab clash that remained competitive until the final whistle.
Saudi star Fahad Al-Qasim stole the spotlight with an outstanding individual performance, scoring all three goals for his country to complete a memorable hat-trick and secure a crucial opening victory for the Green Falcons.
The result earned Saudi Arabia three valuable points in Group B and provided a significant confidence boost ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
Despite the defeat, Iraq delivered a determined performance and remained competitive throughout the match, demonstrating their ability to challenge their opponents in the remaining group-stage encounters.
Group Standings After Matchday One
Group A
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | Russia | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 |
| 3 | Türkiye | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 1 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Libya | 1 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 3 |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Iraq | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 1 | 0 | 14 | -14 | 0 |
P: Played | GF: Goals For | GA: Goals Against | GD: Goal Difference | Pts: Points
With four decisive victories, 35 goals scored across the opening fixtures, and several outstanding individual performances, the Antalya 2026 Minifootball World Cup has already delivered an exciting start.
As the competition progresses, all eyes will turn to the second round of group-stage matches, where the battle for the four semifinal places is expected to intensify.
