In a scene of tension and destiny, Asian heroes Qatar came up to the occasion and fought their way past the United Arab Emirates 2-1 to secure a historic place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup they would qualify for playing on the field.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani congratulated the country and the team on its victory and wished them good luck at the World Cup.
Team Qatar was also congratulated by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
He wrote on his post on X (formerly known as Twitter), “We congratulate our national team on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and we praise the outstanding performance of our brotherly Emirati team. Our national team delivered an honourable performance in the match that qualified it for this achievement. All the best to Al-Annabi in their upcoming journey.”
The Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium was dotted with euphoria as a jubilant crowd and players rejoiced over a hard-earned victory that ended a tumultuous qualifying campaign on a happy note.
One of the emotional moments was the Personal Representative of H H the Amir, H H Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who congratulated the players and team officials in the stands, and fans waving the national flag.
Qatar went into the must-win battle with the pressure of a goalless draw in its last match with Oman.
However, at just the right time, with coach Julen Lopetegui leading, the team came out and performed in front of a full stadium, scoring and then securing a win against Group A to reach the world football tournament.
After an anxious first half, with a goalless result, the team broke the ice through captain Boualem Khoukhi and scored a goal in the 49th minute with a precise and well-timed header.
In the 74th minute, Pedro Miguel increased the lead by another masterpiece goal delivered by Akram Afif, who also played a significant role in both goals.
A late blow to Qatar, Tarek Salman, who replaced him in the 71st minute, was given an initial yellow card, which was later increased to red after a VAR review in the 89th minute.
The UAE had to get a draw to move on, and Sultan Adil rekindled their hopes early in the 15 minutes of injury time with a goal, squeezing home in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Yet Qatar managed to stand up to the pressure in order to maintain the lead and assure a historic qualification.
Khoukhi said, “It’s time to celebrate, and I congratulate all Qataris on this historic achievement. We really worked hard for this win, and we deserved this victory.”
The victory after an unforgettable triumph was the joy of an emotional Afif.
He stated that “It’s a great achievement to qualify for the World Cup. We gave our best and got the result we wanted. The credit goes to our incredible fans, who turned up in large numbers and motivated us in this crucial match.”
Veteran forward Hassan Al Haydos echoed the sentiment, adding, “This is a moment we’ve dreamed of for a long time. It was the destiny of this generation to earn a place at the World Cup. This group is capable of achieving great things.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, with its first-ever increased number of 48 teams, will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
Although it was lost, the UAE of Cosmin Olaroiu still has a chance of survival in the World Cup. Being Group A runners-up, they will now have a two-legged play-off against Iraq next month.
