Cairo, Egypt – All eyes of Arab football fans are on Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. The UAE national team will face Iraq in a crucial and decisive match in the final round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE national team is scheduled to host Iraq this evening in the fifth round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup play-offs.
Iraq vs UAE match today
The UAE national team enters the match carrying the hopes and aspirations of its fans. They aim to take another step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals, scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi national team seeks to restore its glory and return to participate in the World Cup, which it has missed since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
The UAE national team will be looking to capitalize on home advantage and the support of their fans to secure a comfortable result. This result would put them in a better position before the return leg in Basra, Iraq.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi national team hopes to come out of the match with a positive result that will make their task easier in the return match on their home ground and in front of their fans.
The UAE national team secured a place in the fifth Asian playoff after failing to qualify directly for the World Cup in the fourth round. This came after they finished second in their group.
Iraq finished second in Group B in the fourth round, tied on points with Saudi Arabia, who qualified directly for the World Cup.
In this regard, we will review in detail the date of the Iraq vs. UAE match, as well as the channels broadcasting it live and the expected lineup for the Whites and the Lions of Mesopotamia.
Date of the Iraq vs. UAE match in the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup
The Iraqi national team is scheduled to visit the UAE on Thursday evening, November 13, 2025. This is part of the Asian play-off for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
The Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium will open its doors to host the UAE vs. Iraq match at 6:00 PM Cairo time. In Saudi Arabia, the match will kick off at 7:00 PM.
The match between Iraq and the UAE is scheduled to take place at 8:00 PM UAE time.
Channels broadcasting the Iraq vs. UAE match live today
The Iraq vs. UAE match can be watched live on beIN SPORTS Qatar channels. Specifically, it will be broadcast on beIN SPORTS 2 with commentary by Essam El Shawaly.
The expected lineup for the UAE national team against Iraq in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Goalkeeper: Khalid Eisa.
Defense: Lucas Pimenta – Khalifa Al Hammadi – Kwame Otton – Yahya Al Ghassani.
Midfield: Abdullah Ramadan – Yahya Nader – Nicolas Jimenez.
Attack: Caio Lucas – Caio Canedo – Bruno Oliveira.
Iraq’s Expected Lineup Against the UAE in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeeper: Jalal Hassan.
Defense: Mirjas Doski – Hassan Ali – Manaf Younis – Rebin Sulaka.
Midfield: Aimar Sher – Zaidan Iqbal – Kevin Yaqub – Amir Al Ammari.
Attack: Mohanad Ali – Ali Al Hammadi.
