Iraq earned a valuable 1-1 draw against host UAE on Thursday in Abu Dhabi in the first leg of the Asian playoff for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving the tie to be decided in the return leg in Basra on November 18.
Iraq took the lead through Ali Al-Hamadi in the 10th minute, only for Luan Pereira to equalize for the hosts eight minutes later (18).
Both UAE and Iraq reached this playoff stage after failing to qualify from the fourth round of Asian qualifiers, where Saudi Arabia and Qatar advanced while Oman and Indonesia were eliminated.
The winner of the return leg will await the draw on November 20 to discover their opponent in the World Cup intercontinental playoff, which features representatives from Africa, South America, North and Central America, the Caribbean, and Oceania.
The 2026 World Cup finals will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with 25 teams already qualified alongside the three host nations.
Players React
UAE defender Alaa Eldin Zuhair said: “It was a tough match. We consider the draw a negative result for us since we were playing at home. We gave our best but didn’t succeed. We haven’t lost hope; our chances are still alive because we have the return leg.”
Iraq’s Amir Al-Amari added: “In the first half, we were better and should have finished the game early. Their goalkeeper, Khalid Essa, played very well. We created more chances than in previous matches. The draw is a positive result for us, and we will win in Basra to make our fans happy.”
Iraq’s Australian coach Graham Arnold explained that he focused on early pressure: “I wanted to press the UAE from the start to avoid giving them problems. I commend all my players for their discipline and execution of instructions. We still have 90 minutes in Basra. With today’s result, we’ve covered half the journey. We ask fans for support and hope to see 65,000 spectators at Tuesday’s match.”
UAE coach Cosmin Olariu said: “The start was bad after conceding an early goal, but we came back in the second half. Both teams are theoretically equal in chances, and we will fight until the end.”
Match Summary
At Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, in front of 32,000 spectators, Iraq capitalized on an early attacking move to score after a pass from Akam Hashim. Luan Pereira failed to clear the ball, allowing Al-Hamadi to finish past Essa (10).
UAE equalized seven minutes later following a cross from Abdullah Ramadan, with Pereira heading into the net (18).
Iraq continued to pressure and nearly doubled the lead when Al-Hamadi broke free from a pass by Muhannad Ali, but Essa made a brilliant save (30). UAE’s Sultan Adel also missed a chance (37), while Muhannad Ali’s header from Emaar Shir’s cross was saved by Essa (44).
In the second half, Abdullah Ramadan’s powerful shot was blocked by Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan (47). Akam Hashim and Marco Faraj tested Essa, who maintained his form with crucial saves (50, 56).
Near the end, substitute Ayman Hussein almost scored an own goal while trying to clear Ali Saleh’s header (90+1), and another substitute, Caio Lucas, had a goal disallowed for offside (90+6).
