What the UAE Must Do to Secure Their Spot at the 2026 World Cup
Assalamu Alaikum! The UAE men's football team is just a step away from qualifying for only their second World Cup finals.
This Tuesday, under the guidance of coach Cosmin Olaroiu, the team will face Qatar in Doha, aiming to book their place in the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
The UAE's only previous World Cup participation was back in 1990.
After a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory against Oman on Saturday, the Emirati squad now leads their Group A with three points, while Qatar and Oman have one point each.
So, what does the UAE need to do to secure their ticket to North America?
The key is simple: if the UAE can avoid losing to Qatar on Tuesday, they will qualify for the FIFA World Cup for just the second time ever.
However, if they lose, Qatar will move ahead with four points and claim the spot for next year's finals.
If the UAE finishes second, they'll have another chance through a play-off against the runner-up from Group B, currently Iraq, who will face Saudi Arabia soon. That play-off winner will then enter an intercontinental play-off for a final shot at qualification.
UAE has a strong recent record against Qatar, having beaten them both home and away in the last round of World Cup qualifiers. Last September, they won 3-1 away, and in November, Fabio De Lima scored four goals in a 5-0 victory in Abu Dhabi.
The rivalry between the two nations is close, with Qatar holding 14 wins to UAE’s 12 and 10 draws in 36 meetings.
For the upcoming match, only about 1,000 UAE supporters will be allowed, as FIFA granted Qatar both the hosting rights and most of the tickets, despite the match being a neutral play-off.
This will make for a very different atmosphere compared to the Oman game, where the UAE sold out their 5,000 ticket allocation multiple times over.
The match kicks off at 9 PM UAE time at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
May Allah bless the UAE team with success and keep all players safe. Insha'Allah, they'll make us proud and represent the nation with honour on the world stage.
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