27-Player UAE Squad Named for World Cup Playoff Showdown in Doha

Squad Announcement and Camp

The Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu has named a 27-man UAE squad to face Oman and Qatar in the two upcoming matches at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, part of the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The squad includes a mix of domestic and foreign-born players, featuring Yahya Al-Ghassani, Kai Lucas, Fabio Lima, Luan Pereira, Bruno Oliveira and Nicolas Jimenez among others, as the coach reshapes the attack and balance in midfield and defense.

The UAE conducted a domestic training camp in Dubai from late September with a broad 31-man group; four players were later omitted: Mohammed Abdul Basit, Mackenzie Hant, Alvaro Oliveira and Zaed Sultan.

The Whites also prepared with a prior Dubai camp in September, playing two friendlies to sharpen form: a 3-1 victory over Syria and a 1-0 win against Bahrain, maintaining an unbeaten run under Olaroiu that includes solid showings in recent qualifying matches.

In the Austria training camp from late July to early August 2025, the team built fitness and tactical sharpness ahead of the playoff push, taking on Lecce (Italy) and NK Bravo (Slovenia) in two warm-up fixtures that yielded positive results and boosted morale.

Olaroiu used the friendlies to sketch the likely lineup for the playoff, favoring an attacking spine led by Yahya Al-Ghassani and Kai Lucas, while Fabio Lima departed the camp due to injury. The coaching staff also experimented with formations, keeping Erik De Menezes at left-back and deploying Marcelo Miloni in midfield; Nicolas Jimenez emerged as a key centerpiece in the middle of the park.

The UAE wrapped up the third round of Asian qualifying in third place in their group, earning a playoff spot along with Qatar who finished fourth. Iran and Uzbekistan finished first and second and advanced directly to the World Cup finals.

In the second round of qualifying, the UAE collected 16 points from six matches, leading the group by a wide margin over Bahrain, Yemen and Nepal. The campaign featured a 4-0 win over Nepal, with Khalifa Al-Hamadi, Fabio Lima and Ali Mabkhout among the scorers, and continued with decisive displays against the other group foes, setting the stage for the playoff duel in Doha.

The plan ahead remains to translate this momentum into results on the pitch, with tactical flexibility and a balanced squad rotation designed to counter Oman and Qatar. If the defense holds and the attack clicks, the UAE could push toward a first-ever World Cup knockout bid from this regional playoff slate.

Punchline 1: If the UAE defense gets any tighter, the ball will need a visa just to borrow space in the box.

Punchline 2: Cosmin’s game plan is so international that even the calendar is asking for a stamp of approval before every kickoff.