The UAE suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Iran in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying match on Tuesday night, but their spirited performance against the formidable Asian giants earned commendation from Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei. Ghalenoei's Iran side maintained their perfect record in Group A with a 1-0 win in Al Ain. For the second consecutive game, Iran created numerous opportunities but settled for a 1-0 victory, with Ghalenoei expressing satisfaction with the points secured but emphasizing the need to enhance his team's finishing.
Paulo Bento's UAE team came close to scoring on several occasions and defended resolutely when Iran threatened to extend their lead. "I congratulate Mr. Bento for the strong team he has assembled. It is one of the best teams UAE has ever fielded," Ghalenoei remarked. "The match could have easily ended with a margin of three or four goals, yet it was nearly a draw."
Prior to the game, Ghalenoei had noted that they had identified and neutralized UAE's strengths from their previous match against Qatar, capitalizing on their weaknesses. "We failed to convert 90 percent of our chances. Football often punishes such lapses, but fortunately, we escaped that today. It's an issue we must address," he added. Mehdi Ghayedi scored in first-half stoppage time, but Iran could have scored more if Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi, and Sardar Azmoun had been more clinical.
Following their morale-boosting 3-1 win against Qatar in the opening game, a home defeat was not the outcome Bento desired for his UAE side. The Portuguese coach acknowledged the pivotal moment in the match, attributing the timing of Ghayedi's goal as crucial to the final result. "Of course, the result was not favorable, but I am content with the players' performance," Bento said. "We conceded a goal in the dying seconds of the first half, which was the worst moment for the UAE team in the match. If we had managed to end the first half without conceding, the second half could have unfolded differently."
Asia has eight direct slots for the upcoming 48-team FIFA World Cup. Eighteen teams have been divided into three groups of six each in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. The UAE are in Group A with Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and North Korea. Group B comprises South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait, while Group C includes Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, and Indonesia. The top two teams from each group will secure direct qualification for the World Cup, with the third and fourth-placed teams competing in the six-team fourth round of qualifiers.
The six teams in the fourth round will be split into two groups of three. The winners of each group will claim the last two direct slots for the World Cup, while the runners-up will face off in a playoff. The winner of the Asian playoff will then participate in an inter-confederation playoff tournament featuring five other teams for the final two slots in the World Cup. The UAE last qualified for the World Cup in 1990.
