The UAE stand on the brink of securing only a second World Cup finals appearance.
On Tuesday, Cosmin Olaroiu's side take on Qatar in Doha looking to secure a place at next year's finals, to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The UAE's only previous World Cup appearance came in 1990.
Saturday's 2-1 comeback win over Oman has put the Emiratis in the driving seat. They top the three-team Group A with three points, while Qatar and Oman both have a point each.
Here's what the UAE need to punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Permutations
As long as they avoid defeat against Qatar on Tuesday, the UAE will qualify for a Fifa World Cup for only the second time in their history.
Should they lose, Qatar will leapfrog UAE into first place on four points and secure their place at next's year's finals.
If the UAE finish second, they will enter into another play-off against the runner-up in Group B, currently Iraq, who face Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The winner of that play-off, to be held in November, will then enter an intercontinental play-off for another chance to qualify.
Recent results against Qatar
The UAE boast an excellent recent record against Qatar, beating them home-and-away in the previous round of World Cup qualifying.
The UAE beat the Asian champions 3-1 away last September before Fabio De Lima famously scored four goals in the 5-0 thrashing of the Qataris in Abu Dhabi in November. The Brazil-born playmaker celebrated his achievement with a late-night visit to a nearby McDonald's, where he was mobbed by fans.
In total, the UAE have played their Gulf neighbours 36 times, with Qatar edging the rivalry with 14 wins to the UAE's 12 with 10 draws.
Match details
The UAE’s extraordinary support for the Qatar match will be restricted to around 1,000. Despite the tournament purportedly being a neutral play-off, world governing body Fifa granted Qatar both hosting rights and the ability to offer 90 per cent of tickets to their own fans for the game.
It means there will be a markedly different atmosphere to that of the Oman game. The UAE sold out their allocation of 5,000 tickets, and could have done so multiple times over.
The game at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium kicks off at 9pm UAE.
TV
BeIN Sports will broadcast the UAE v Qatar match live.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Arabian Gulf League fixtures:
Friday:
- Emirates v Hatta, 5.15pm
- Al Wahda v Al Dhafra, 5.25pm
- Al Ain v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, 8.15pm
Saturday:
- Dibba v Ajman, 5.15pm
- Sharjah v Al Wasl, 5.20pm
- Al Jazira v Al Nasr, 8.15pm
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The biog
Name: Greg Heinricks
From: Alberta, western Canada
Record fish: 56kg sailfish
Member of: International Game Fish Association
Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters
The%20specs
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THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Company%20profile
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
HWJN
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The five pillars of Islam