The UAE reignited 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a commanding victory over Kyrgyzstan at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium.
After a difficult round in Group A — marked by losses to Iran and Uzbekistan.
And also by a frustrating draw against the lower-ranked North Korea — Paulo Bento’s squad saw their hopes of a second World Cup appearance dim after an initially promising start.
Harib Abdallah Secures The First Goal
The campaign had begun brightly with a win against Qatar.
It fueled optimism that the UAE could secure one of the 48 spots in 2026 tournament, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
On Thursday night in Abu Dhabi, that belief was rekindled.
Fifteen minutes into the match, Harib Abdallah capitalized on a sloppy back pass from Ermek Kenzhebaev.
He was skillfully rounding Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev to open the scoring.
Twenty minutes later, Yahya Al Ghassani, a standout in the draw with North Korea, came close to doubling the lead with a free-kick.
This kick grazed the outside of the post.
Moments later, Marcus Meloni, recently called up to the squad, delivered the second goal.
His strike from outside the box swerved unpredictably before slipping under Tokotaev’s gloves, putting the UAE 2-0 up.
Are the UAE and Qatar Qualified for 2026 World Cup ?
After halftime, both sides created a few chances, but the UAE’s third goal came in the 89th minute.
Abdallah struck again, this time with a precise left-footed effort from outside the box.
He sealed an emphatic win and breathing new life into the UAE’s qualifying ambitions.
The Museum of the Future in Dubai has achieved a remarkable global achievement by receiving more than 3 million visitors from 177 countries around the world in less than 3 years since its official opening on February 22, 2022. pic.twitter.com/cFhECZ1zjp
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Elsewhere, at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar edged out second-placed Uzbekistan with a crucial 3-2 victory, further shaking up the Group A standings.
With this win, the UAE and Qatar are now just three points behind Uzbekistan.
As the top two teams in the group secure automatic qualification for 2026 World Cup.
Tuesday’s showdown at Al Nahyan Stadium between the UAE and Qatar now carries high stakes.
As the both teams goal is to keep the pressure on Srecko Katanec’s Uzbekistan in the race for qualification.
