Asian champions Qatar will host neighbouring United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their AFC World Cup 2026 qualifiers at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium tomorrow. Qatar, coached by Marquez Lopez, topped Group A in the previous phase of qualifiers and will now look to extend their unbeaten streak of 11 matches when they face the UAE, a regional powerhouse in football.
With feared strikers Akram Afif and Almoez Ali ready to lead the challenge, Qatar will be eager to extend their dominance of their rivals since 2015. Qatar famously beat the UAE 4-1 in their semi-final win during their glorious Asian Cup title win in 2019.
Qatar are in Group A alongside Iran, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Kyrgystan and North Korea. In their last 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash before heading for the summer break, Qatar beat India 2-1 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha in June.
Prior to that win, Qatar posted wins over Lebanon, Tajikistan, China, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Iran Jordan (all Asian Cup matches in Jan and Feb) followed by a couple of wins over Kuwait (home and away) in March and a goalless draw against Afghanistan in June.
Coached by Paulo Bento, the UAE will be looking for a positive result after naming a squad of players who ply their trade in the English and French football leagues.
Junior Ndiaye (Montpellier), goalkeeper Adli Mohamed (Southampton) and Mackenzie Hunt (Fleetwood Town) are part of the squad set to fly in today. The UAE will host Iran at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on September 10 in their second clash of this phase.
Qatar, ranked 34 on the FIFA computer, will be confident going into tomorrow’s clash as the national team players have already appeared in three rounds of fiercely-contested Qatar Stars League games that began last month.
Lopez, who joined Qatar in December last year before leading them to Asian Cup title glory in Feb this year, will have a full roster for the Group A clash set to kick off at 7:00pm tomorrow.
The Qatar Football Association (QFA) on Tuesday announced more than seventy percent of tickets at the 45,032-capacity venue have been grabbed by the fans.
In the following games, Qatar will face North Korea on September 10 at the New Laos National Stadium in Laos. After a break of two months, Qatar will start the second leg by facing hosts UAE on November 19 before hosting North Korean on March 20, 2025. Qatar will take on Kyrgyzstan on March 25. The tie against Iran is on June 5, 2025. In the last match of the third stage, Qatar will battle Uzbekistan in Tashkent on June 10.
The 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico, Canada.
Key points in Group A clashes8 Group A features a solid team in Iran, often overlooked but capable of dominating the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
8 Qatar, despite their recent Asian Cup success, will look for a positive start against the UAE on Thursday.
8 Uzbekistan, known for their heartbreaking near-misses, are eager to break through with a talented young side.
8 Unpredictable teams like Kyrgyzstan and North Korea could pose challenges to Group A rivals.
8 North Korea’s isolation and limited exposure make them an intriguing squad.
Sports
Qatar take on UAE to resume World Cup campaign
Group A also includes Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan and North Korea
![Qatar players train at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Qatar players train at the Khalifa International Stadium.](https://cdn4.premiumread.com/?url=https://gulf-times.com/gulftimes/uploads/images/2024/09/03/218535.jpeg&w=800&q=100&f=webp)
Qatar players train at the Khalifa International Stadium.