Doha, Qatar: Qatar are determined as they kick off their journey in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers, which could be a decisive stage in their quest to make history.

The two-time Asian champions, having made their debut in the football showpiece as hosts two years ago, have never qualified for the global event and the next edition in North America is deemed a golden opportunity for them to qualify for the World Cup for first time.                   

Up against them first are Paulo Bento’s United Arab Emirates, who have included players from English and French leagues ahead of the qualifiers in a rare instance.

United Arab Emirates players in action during a training session last evening. 

Qatar coach Marquez Lopez has reposed confidence in mostly the same players, who helped the side win second successive Asian Cup title and top group in the second round of Asian Qualifiers.

Experienced forwards Almoez Ali and Akram Afif will lead Qatar’s charge when they take on the UAE at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium this evening at 7pm.  

Al Annabi will also face Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea in Group A on a home-and-away basis until June 2025 as they seek a top-two finish to ensure automatic qualification for the World Cup to be staged in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.  

“Our group is tough and all teams have an equal chance to qualify. We have confidence in our players and their abilities,” Lopez told a press conference on the eve of their clash against the UAE.

“We have studied our opponents well and we have experience with these teams in the Asian Cup.”

Lopez aware of UAE threat

Qatar have been enjoying a purple patch this year as they are on 11-match unbeaten run, thanks to their triumphant run in the Asian Cup and the Asian Qualifiers second round jumping to 34th in the FIFA Rankings,

Their dominance over the UAE in recent years include the famous victories in the 2019 Asian Cup and the 2021 Arab Cup. The Emiratis, currently ranked 69th in the world, have not defeated Qatar since their 4-1 triumph in the AFC Asian Cup in 2015.

“These are only statistics, but they mean nothing,” said Lopez when asked about Qatar’s spree of wins over the UAE in recent years. 

“UAE are a good team, they are well organised with a good coach, and the match will not be easy. This is what I conveyed to the players – they must stay focused throughout the entire match because we are starting a new phase to achieve our goal of reaching the World Cup.”

Sitting alongside the coach, Almoez said the team is ready for the match and players are excited to start the crucial round of Asian Qualifiers.    

“We have won the Asian title twice in a row, but our bigger goal is to qualify for the World Cup. The atmosphere in training has been positive. We have the drive to achieve victories,” the striker said.

The 45,000-capacity venue is expected to be filled with over 90 percent tickets were sold out a day before the highly-anticipated match. Almoez said the support of home fans will be the key for his side.   

“The fans are the primary and most important motivation for the players, and their presence in the stands with the team pushes us to give our best,” he said.

Bento happy with UAE preparations

Eyeing their second World Cup appearance, the UAE also stayed unbeaten in the second round of qualifiers winning their group. They missed the Qatar World Cup after coming agonisingly close with Australia beating them in the Asian Play-Off. 

Bento doesn’t want to let that happen again as he even looked beyond the borders to form a formidable squad. The Portuguese roped in the likes of Montpellier’s Junior Ndiaye, Southampton’s Adli Mohamed and Mackenzie Hunt, who plays for Fleetwood Town in England’s League 2 for the two games including a fixture against Iran on Tuesday.

“We have a good group of players who are looking forward to give their best,” the UAE coach said yesterday as he expected a tough challenge from the home side.

“We have a very difficult task ahead of us against the Qatar, which has great organisational quality and is led by a coach who has great experience. Our preparations were good and we developed an appropriate strategy for this match,” the 55-year-old added.

“We are looking forward to a positive result in the start of our journey but we must stay completely focused as required in the away games.”

UAE defender Khalifa Al Hammadi agreed with the coach.

“We are hoping to perform at required level and we are aware of the importance of this match,” he said.

“Qatar are one of the best teams in Asia and we will spare no effort to achieve our goal which is getting the three vital points in the start.”