UAE National Team faces North Korea Tuesday

Sharjah 24: The UAE national football team will face North Korea, on Tuesday, at the Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The match is part of the eighth round of Group A in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Final Preparations

During the team’s final training sessions before traveling to Riyadh, head coach Paulo Bento focused on addressing the weaknesses seen in the recent match against Iran. Special attention was given to the players' mental preparedness to boost their confidence after the previous defeat, ensuring they regain their form quickly before Tuesday’s crucial encounter.

Arrival in Riyadh

The UAE national team delegation arrived in Riyadh this morning, following their last training session at Jebel Ali Stadium in Dubai last night. The squad is eager to bounce back after their 2-0 loss to Iran in the seventh round, while North Korea also comes into the match seeking redemption after a heavy 5-1 defeat to Qatar.

Current Standings

The UAE national team currently sits in third place in the group with 10 points, trailing Iran, which leads with 19 points, and Uzbekistan in second place with 16 points. The team is level on points with Qatar but holds a superior goal difference, placing them ahead in the rankings.

Previous Meeting

The last time the two teams met was in the third round of the qualifiers at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in October, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Match Officials

FIFA has appointed a Saudi officiating crew for the match, led by referee Mohammed Al-Huwaish, with Khalaf Al-Shammari as assistant referee, Yasser Al-Sultan as second assistant, and Faisal Al-Bluwi as the fourth official. The VAR team includes Abdullah Al-Shihri as the main VAR referee and Ibrahim Al-Dakhil as assistant VAR referee.