The UAE national football team faces Iraq this evening at 8:00 PM local time on the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. This match marks a new stage on the arduous road to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the team squandered a golden opportunity for direct qualification through the first Asian playoff last October. The players and their coaching staff, led by Romanian coach Olaru Cosmin, must bear the responsibility for losing that chance. The last defeat to Qatar in October sounded the alarm about the deep technical and psychological problems plaguing 'Al-Abdaly'. The players and coach have no choice but to win today with a comfortable goal difference. This is the only way to keep the dream of a second World Cup qualification alive. Any further setback would significantly narrow their chances before the return leg next Tuesday at the Basra International Stadium. During recent preparations, Cosmin worked to rebuild the lost trust within the team through intensive technical and tactical training and by addressing defensive errors. The team will be without Fabio Lima due to injury, while Cosmin has excluded several players from the last playoff squad and called up new faces, most notably striker Mohamed Awad. Despite facing immense pressure, the UAE team has a history of delivering its best performances in high-stakes moments, unlike matches where they are considered favorites. Conversely, the Iraqi team enters the match with the ambition of securing a positive result to ease their task before the return leg. 'Lions of the Two Rivers' also face some absences, most notably the injury to player Yousif Amin. However, coach Graham Arnold has a strong squad capable of dictating the pace and exploiting the UAE's defensive vulnerabilities, especially in set-pieces and through high pressing. It is worth noting that the UAE national team is chasing the dream of appearing at the global stage for the second time in its history, after the 1990 edition, while the Iraqi team hopes to reach the finals for the second time as well, after their participation in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The winner of the UAE vs. Iraq tie will advance to the global playoff to be held in Mexico next March, which FIFA has named the '2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification Play-Offs', featuring six teams competing for the last two spots. The national team's match today will be played in a packed stadium, as tickets sold out within hours of going on sale, which is a source of strength that 'Al-Abdaly' players must use to secure a positive result with a comfortable margin before the return leg in Basra. This is the national team's third appearance in the playoffs, driven by two previous experiences: the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan, where they lost 0-4 to Iran, and the 2022 edition in Qatar, where they lost 1-2 to Australia. Will the third time be the charm?
