A decisive test.. The “White” team visits Iraq in pursuit of World Cup aspirations

The UAE national team will be hosted by Iraq at Basra International Stadium in the second leg of the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup qualifier.

The UAE national team had drawn with Iraq in the first leg in Abu Dhabi with one goal each, which makes their task in today’s match more difficult.

While the Iraqi national team enters the match with a clear advantage over the UAE, this gives it a greater chance of securing a qualifying spot for the World Cup play-offs.

The winner of the Iraq-UAE match is scheduled to qualify for the global play-off scheduled for March 2026, which will determine qualification for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Both teams enter today’s match with no alternative but to win, in a match where there is no room for compromise.

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.

Date of the Iraq vs. UAE match in the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup

The UAE national team is scheduled to visit Iraq on Tuesday evening, November 18, 2025. This is the second leg of the Asian play-off for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 World Cup.

Basra International Stadium will open its doors to host the Iraq-UAE match at 6:00 PM Cairo time. In Saudi Arabia, the match will kick off at 7:00 PM.

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 Hassan Al-Aidaroos.