The Asian playoff toward the 2026 World Cup is wide open after the 1-1 draw between United Arab Emirates and Iraq in Abu Dhabi. The result at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium means everything will be decided on November 18, when the Iraqis play at home in a match that will determine who earns a ticket to the Intercontinental Playoff, hosted in Mexico, specifically in Monterrey and Guadalajara.

The first leg was frenetic from the start. Ali Al Hamadi put Iraq ahead in the 10th minute after pouncing on a loose ball inside the box, but the Emirati response was quick: Luan Pereira leveled the score 1-1 with a perfect header in the 18th minute.
From that point forward, one man stole the spotlight: Khalid Eisa. The UAE goalkeeper made three massive saves, including a one-on-one against Al Hamadi and a powerful header from Meme just before halftime.

In the second half, UAE looked sharper, pushed by their home crowd, and they even celebrated what seemed like a 90+5 winner: Caio Lucas scored from a free-kick, but the play was ruled offside and the score remained unchanged.

Who Advances to the Intercontinental Playoff?

The scenario is straightforward:

Iraq will advance if…

• They win the second leg at home.
• They draw 0-0 (thanks to scoring away in the first leg, if away goals count).
• They draw 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc., if the away-goals rule is not applied in this specific AFC round.

United Arab Emirates will advance if…

• They win in Iraq.
• They draw with goals and the competition applies the away-goals rule.
• They draw and win on penalties, if the tie goes directly to extra time and a shootout.

AFC has removed the away-goals rule in recent stages, but whether it applies here depends on the specific regulations of this playoff round. The second leg will clarify the format.

What’s at Stake?

The winner of this matchup earns a spot in the Intercontinental Playoff, where they will face teams from other confederations for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

That playoff will be hosted in two key cities for Latino fans in the U.S.:

• Monterrey (BBVA Stadium)
• Guadalajara (Estadio Akron)

For Iraq, it would be their first playoff since 1994.
For UAE, it would be a repeat of their path toward Qatar 2022.