In 2026, the UAE is aiming for a stellar start in the World Cup qualifiers. Their goal is to enter the World Cup, which they haven’t done in thirty years. This Thursday, their campaign starts against Qatar.
There are eight direct spots available for Asia in the next Fifa World Cup. This World Cup will see 48 teams compete. In the Asian qualifiers third round, eighteen teams were split into three groups.
With Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea, the UAE is part of Group A. Group B features South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait while Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia are in Group C.
The top two teams from each group will go straight to the World Cup. Those in third and fourth places will compete in a fourth round. In this round, six teams will be split into two groups, each having three teams.
The winners of these groups will secure the last two spots for the World Cup. The second place teams will enter a playoff battle. The Asian playoff winner advances to a playoff tournament that includes five teams. The final two World Cup slots are the prize.
The UAE missed the 2022 World Cup by losing to Australia in a challenging playoff round. They hope to be in the top two this time and qualify directly from the third round. They’ll start against Qatar, the two-time Asian champions, in Doha this Thursday. Following the 2022 disappointment, Paulo Bento’s team is eager to succeed.
They have made it to the third round with ease. However, they have not defeated Qatar since their 4-1 victory in the 2015 Asian Cup. The belief is that their match against Iran on September 10 at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium could break this pattern.
Meanwhile, Qatar hopes to extend their winning streak. They face the UAE at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium this Thursday. After their 2023 Asian Cup victory, they qualified for the third round with ease.
They are on an 11-game unbeaten streak going into their match against the UAE. Main players Akram Afif and Almoez Ali are returning after a rest period. Coach Marquez Lopez had them sit out the last two matches.
As hosts of the 2022 edition, Qatar had their World Cup debut. Now, they aim to qualify based on merit. With Ali and Afif on their side, who topped scoring charts and won the Asian Cup Golden Boot respectively, their confidence is high.