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UAE to host Iraq for 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Thursday, 13 November 2025 06:30

By ARN News Staff

AFP

The UAE national football team will be hosting their Iraqi counterparts in Abu Dhabi on Thursday for the first leg of the Asian play-off rounds to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The match will be held at 8:00 pm, located at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

The second leg is set to proceed between the two teams on November 18 at 8:00 pm at Basra’s International Stadium in Iraq.

The winner between the two-legged tie will be able to earn a spot in March’s Inter-Confederation play-offs, marking a step closer to reaching the World Cup.

Both nations are playing to reach what would be their second World Cup, with Iraq only having featured at Mexico in 1986 and the UAE four years later in Italy.

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