UAE Football Team Departs for Riyadh to Face North Korea in World Cup Qualifiers
The Emirati squad prepares for their crucial match in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE national football team departed early Monday morning for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to compete against North Korea on Tuesday at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
This match is part of the eighth round of Group A in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The 'White' team completed its final training session on Sunday in Jebel Ali, under the guidance of Portuguese coach Paulo Bento and his coaching staff, with all players participating, as announced by the UAE Football Association on its official website.
The squad includes the following players: Khalid Essa, Hamad Al-Maqbali, Khalid Tuhid, Ali Khaseef, Mohammed Al-Attas, Lucas Pimenta, Kwame Kwidou, Khalifa Al-Hamadi, Alaa Zahir, Zayed Sultan, Khalid Al-Dunhani, Marcos Meloni, Abdullah Idris, Yahya Nader, McKenzie Hunt, Abdullah Ramadan, Tahnoon Al-Zaabi, Issam Fayez, Yahya Al-Ghassani, Harib Abdullah, Fabio De Lima, Jonatas Santos, Luan Pereira, Bruno Oliveira, Caio Lucas, Sultan Adel, and Caio Kanido.
FIFA has appointed a Saudi referee crew for the match, led by referee Mohammed Al-Huwesh, with Khalaf Al-Shammari as first assistant, Yasser Sultan as second assistant, Faisal Al-Balawi as fourth official, Abdullah Al-Shahri as video assistant referee, and Ibrahim Al-Dakhil as assistant video referee.
Currently, the UAE national team ranks third in the group standings with a total of 10 points from 7 matches, trailing 9 points behind Iran, who lead the group, and 6 points behind Uzbekistan, who are in second place.
North Korea sits at the bottom of the standings with just 2 points.
In the third phase of the Asian qualifiers, the 18 qualified teams are divided into three groups, each consisting of 6 teams.
The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in each group will advance to the fourth round for a chance to secure two World Cup spots, along with a ticket to the intercontinental playoff.
This match is part of the eighth round of Group A in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The 'White' team completed its final training session on Sunday in Jebel Ali, under the guidance of Portuguese coach Paulo Bento and his coaching staff, with all players participating, as announced by the UAE Football Association on its official website.
The squad includes the following players: Khalid Essa, Hamad Al-Maqbali, Khalid Tuhid, Ali Khaseef, Mohammed Al-Attas, Lucas Pimenta, Kwame Kwidou, Khalifa Al-Hamadi, Alaa Zahir, Zayed Sultan, Khalid Al-Dunhani, Marcos Meloni, Abdullah Idris, Yahya Nader, McKenzie Hunt, Abdullah Ramadan, Tahnoon Al-Zaabi, Issam Fayez, Yahya Al-Ghassani, Harib Abdullah, Fabio De Lima, Jonatas Santos, Luan Pereira, Bruno Oliveira, Caio Lucas, Sultan Adel, and Caio Kanido.
FIFA has appointed a Saudi referee crew for the match, led by referee Mohammed Al-Huwesh, with Khalaf Al-Shammari as first assistant, Yasser Sultan as second assistant, Faisal Al-Balawi as fourth official, Abdullah Al-Shahri as video assistant referee, and Ibrahim Al-Dakhil as assistant video referee.
Currently, the UAE national team ranks third in the group standings with a total of 10 points from 7 matches, trailing 9 points behind Iran, who lead the group, and 6 points behind Uzbekistan, who are in second place.
North Korea sits at the bottom of the standings with just 2 points.
In the third phase of the Asian qualifiers, the 18 qualified teams are divided into three groups, each consisting of 6 teams.
The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in each group will advance to the fourth round for a chance to secure two World Cup spots, along with a ticket to the intercontinental playoff.
