Emirates vs Iraq: The Two-Leg Clash to Snatch Asia’s Final World Cup Slot

Preview: UAE vs Iraq in Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates and Iraq meet at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday evening for the first leg of the AFC fifth round, the playoff pathway to the intercontinental playoff for the 2026 World Cup.

A second leg is scheduled at Basra International Stadium next Tuesday, with the winner of the two legs booking a ticket to the world playoff.

Over the last 25 months, Asian nations have played more than 200 matches and scored over 600 goals, leaving just two countries in the race for Asia's final World Cup berth in the USA, Canada and Mexico 2026.

After eight Asian teams had already secured qualification for North America's intercontinental playoff, Iraq and the UAE enter the fifth and final round in a home-and-away format; the winner advances to the world playoff.

Team News and Rivalry

Cosmin Olăroiu has been at the UAE helm since April 2025, replacing Paulo Bento, drawing on his regional coaching experience. The 56-year-old Romanian has overseen four official matches so far, starting with draws against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, helping the UAE reach the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers.

In the fourth round, the UAE beat Oman, then fell to Qatar 1-2 in Doha, a result that sent the Qatari side to the finals and pushed the UAE to the fifth round.

The UAE have pursued naturalized players vigorously, with about half of the current squad born abroad; six Brazilians are among them. Fabio Lima's injury is notable, and Majed Hassan is also sidelined.

For Iraq, Australian coach Graham Arnold took charge in May 2025, aiming to lift a side that had a rocky third round. Arnold replaced Spanish coach Jesus Casas and has guided Iraq to a 1-0 win over Jordan and a series of positive results, including a King’s Cup title in Thailand and a run that included a 1-0 win over Indonesia and a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia.

Iraq also hosts the return leg at Basra's notoriously intense stadium, with a passionate home crowd. Iraq currently sit at 57 in the FIFA rankings and have played 18 World Cup qualifiers across rounds 2-4, with 11 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses.

Injuries and squad dynamics: Ayman Hussein and Ali Hamadi have recovered, while Ibrahim Bayesh and Yusuf Ameen miss the trip through injury.

The two squads also feature lists of players: UAE named 26 players including veteran keepers and several naturalized stars; Iraq's squad features a mix of domestic and international-born talent as it plots a late surge.

Endnotes

Two legs, two stories, one dream: a World Cup berth for Asia’s last slot. If the ball has a sense of humor, it’ll bounce just right in Basra, not away from fortune this time.

Punchline 1: Soccer is just football with better subtitles—and a lot more drama when the clock ticks past 90 minutes.

Punchline 2: They say patience is a virtue; in football, it’s a referee’s gift wrapping the extra time with a bow that nobody asked for.