Khaberni - The Basra International Stadium hosts this evening, Tuesday, the decisive match between the Iraq national team and its Emirati guest in the second leg of the Asian playoffs for the 2026 Football World Cup qualifiers.
The match is scheduled to start at (19:00) local time, (20:00) UAE time, and (14:00) GMT.
A positive draw (1-1) prevailed in the first leg of the Asian playoffs qualifying for the global playoff for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which brought them together last Thursday at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
The Iraq national team enters this match armed with the advantage of playing at home and the support of their fans, with the opportunities of a goalless draw or winning by any score to qualify for the global playoff for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the Emirati team needs a positive draw of more than one goal or to win in order to continue their World Cup dream journey.
Australian Graham Arnold (62 years old), the coach of the Iraq national team, will start with the main lineup of the "Lions of Mesopotamia" to face their Emirati guest:
Whereas, the Romanian Cosmin Olăroiu (56 years old), the coach of the UAE national team, has chosen the following starting lineup to face their Iraqi host:
The winner of the aggregate of the two matches will qualify for the global playoff scheduled in March 2026, featuring teams from Asia, Africa, Oceania, South America, along with two teams from North, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
The channels broadcasting the Iraq vs UAE match today:
The match will be broadcast on beIN Sports 1 and Al Kass HD5 channels.
Both teams aspire to reach the World Cup finals for the second time in their history, with Iraq having participated in the 1986 Mexico edition, while the UAE team appeared in Italy 1990.
