Qatar seeks World Cup ticket against the UAE in a decisive match

The Qatari national football team faces a crucial test on Tuesday evening when it meets its Emirati counterpart at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, in the final round of the first group in the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup scheduled in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui emphasized in the press conference on the eve of the match that his team aims to achieve the "dream of all Qataris" by reaching the World Cup through the qualifiers for the first time, after the Maroon participated in the 2022 edition as the host country.

He confirmed that the match against the UAE would be balanced, but he expressed confidence in his players' ability to secure the result.

Qatar, the Asian champion in the last two editions, has no choice but to win if it wants to snatch the direct qualification ticket, while the UAE only needs a draw after topping the group with three points following their victory over Oman.

The White had previously defeated Qatar both home and away in the last stage with significant results, adding a vengeful dimension to the match.

For his part, midfielder Asim Madbouh called on the fans to come out in large numbers and support the team, affirming that the "player number one" will be the audience, which has always provided the Maroon with an extra boost in major matches.

The match also represents a special opportunity for coach Lopetegui, who seeks to lead a team to the World Cup for the first time in his coaching career, after being deprived of that with Spain in 2018 due to his sudden dismissal before the tournament began.

The Asian playoff includes six teams: Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia, with the top team from each group qualifying directly for the finals, while the second-placed teams will face each other in a playoff in hopes of advancing through the global playoff.