As-salamu alaykum - Can the UAE still make it to the 2026 World Cup after losing to Qatar?
As-salamu alaykum - tough night for the Emirates. The UAE lost 2-1 to Qatar in Doha, a result that knocked them off the automatic qualifying spot for the 2026 World Cup. They only needed to avoid defeat to guarantee their place, but second-half strikes from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium sent Qatar through.
Some UAE fans reacted badly and went onto the pitch in protest; security and police removed several supporters. That kind of behaviour doesn’t reflect well on anyone - we should try to keep things respectful, brothers and sisters.
All is not lost though. The UAE finished second in the mini Group A behind Qatar and ahead of Oman (thanks to a 2-1 win over Oman earlier). Because of that, the team now goes into a play-off route next month.
The immediate tie is a two-legged play-off against Iraq, who finished second in Group B after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. The Emirates will host the first leg on November 13, with the return leg in Iraq five days later. If the UAE win over the two matches, they will move on to the inter-confederation play-offs in March.
If they get past Iraq and reach the inter-confederation stage, the UAE would join one team each from Africa, CONCACAF, Oceania and South America. FIFA will rank the teams and the four lowest-ranked sides play two single-elimination matches; the winners then meet the two higher-ranked teams in another round of single-elimination games, with the final winners qualifying for the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
A little reminder: the only time the UAE made the World Cup was Italia ’90, where they bowed out at the group stage after losses to West Germany, Yugoslavia and Colombia.
Insha'Allah the boys can regroup and make a run through the playoffs. Keep faith and support them respectfully - may Allah grant success and safety to everyone involved.
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