As-salamu alaykum - UAE fans stay hopeful after World Cup pain in Doha
As-salamu alaykum everyone. The mood was heavy after the loss in Doha, but many Emirati fans are still holding on to the dream of reaching the Fifa World Cup for the first time in 36 years, Insha'Allah.
The national team gave up a big chance to qualify for the finals in the US/Canada/Mexico, losing 2-1 to Qatar in front of a crowd that was mostly for the hosts. All the team needed was a draw to secure their spot, but it didn’t go our way.
Now the road to 2026 gets tougher. The UAE must go through a two-leg playoff with Iraq next month, and if they progress they’ll face the inter-confederation playoffs to try to reach the finals.
Fans I spoke with say they won’t abandon the team. Hamad Khamis, 32, said supporters will travel and pack stadiums for the next matches. “We’ll be with the team wherever they go. This is the nation’s dream,” he said. He was frustrated by the small ticket allocation for Emirati fans in Doha - he felt Qatar had a big home advantage and that referee errors also affected the result.
There are also concerns about crowd trouble after the match; authorities are looking into possible sanctions following incidents in the stands.
Looking ahead, people expect a tough tie with Iraq. Hamad thinks Iraq come in confident after a solid game against Saudi Arabia, and warned it won’t be easy to beat them. Isa Bin Haider, a lawyer, admitted the team’s performance was disappointing and pointed to poor formation choices and late substitutions, but insisted supporters won’t stop backing the team. “Reaching the World Cup isn’t impossible, but we must adjust the tactics. Playing too defensively won’t help - we should try to take the game to the opponent,” he said.
Not everyone is optimistic. Hamad Al Mazrouei, 35, said the chance was wasted and that playing with two possible outcomes (win or draw) can make things harder because the opponents come out with nothing to lose. He reminded the players that the whole country deserves to celebrate qualification.
Schedule reminder: the first leg versus Iraq will be at home on November 13, then the decisive away leg five days later. The winner over the two matches will move on to the inter-confederation play-offs, which include teams from Africa, Oceania, South America and Concacaf. Fifa will seed teams and the lowest-ranked will play single-match eliminators, with winners facing higher-ranked teams for the remaining spots in the World Cup.
A quick note: the UAE’s only World Cup appearance was in Italy 1990 - fans are eager to see the team return after decades.
Other short items from around the UAE and region (just quick headlines and notes):
- A brief timeline of the UAE’s formation in 1970–1971: key meetings and dates led to the federation being announced on December 2, 1971, with Sheikh Zayed elected president and the country joining the UN shortly after.
- Tech/startup news: Nybl, a Dubai-based AI/software venture started in November 2018, has reached Series B fundraising and worked with local accelerators and Microsoft programs.
- Culture: students staged a show of Zaki Nusseibeh’s private art collection in Abu Dhabi; the UAE will be represented at the Venice Biennale; artists and exhibitions continue to highlight the creative scene.
- Economy and travel: large numbers of Indian visitors and residents in the UAE are helping ties, with payment links becoming more seamless between the countries.
- Environment and social pieces: specialty coffee shops in the UAE are focusing on sustainability and supporting female farmers; some shops reuse coffee grounds for farming projects.
- Security and society: religious leaders and councils have condemned attacks on places of worship and warned against hate speech and Islamophobia; calls for tolerance and coexistence have been repeated.
- Sports and entertainment notes: local fighters and athletes continue to feature in regional events; there are varied reviews and scores for games and films circulating.
May Allah grant the team success in the upcoming matches and keep everyone safe when they travel to support them. Jazakum Allahu khairan for reading - let’s keep supporting our team with faith and patience.
https://www.thenationalnews.co