Wikipedia

United Arab Emirates national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see United Arab Emirates women's national football team.

The United Arab Emirates national football team (Arabic: منتخب الإمَارَاتُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ الْمُتَّحِدَة لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) represents United Arab Emirates in international football and serves under the auspices of the country's Football Association.

United Arab Emirates
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Al Abyad (The Whites)
Eyal Zayed (Sons of Zayed)
AssociationUAE Football Association
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachPaulo Bento
CaptainKhalid Eisa
Most capsAdnan Al Talyani (161)
Top scorerAli Mabkhout (85)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeUAE
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 68 Increase 1 (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest40 (November – December 1998)
Lowest138 (January 2012)
First international
 United Arab Emirates 1–0 Qatar 
(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 17 March 1972)
Biggest win
 Brunei 0–12 United Arab Emirates 
(Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; 14 April 2001)
Biggest defeat
 United Arab Emirates 0–8 Brazil 
(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 12 November 2005)
World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1990)
Best resultGroup stage (1990)
Asian Cup
Appearances12 (first in 1980)
Best resultRunners-up (1996)
Arab Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1998)
Best resultFourth place (1998)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances24 (first in 1972)
Best resultChampions (2007, 2013)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1997)
Best resultGroup stage (1997)
Medal record
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Silver medal – second place 1996 UAE Team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Australia Team
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2010 Guangzhou Team
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta Team
Arabian Gulf Cup
Gold medal – first place 2007 UAE Team
Gold medal – first place 2013 Bahrain Team
Silver medal – second place 1986 Bahrain Team
Silver medal – second place 1988 Saudi Arabia Team
Silver medal – second place 1994 UAE Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Kuwait Team

It has made one World Cup appearance in 1990 in Italy and lost all three of its games. United Arab Emirates took fourth place in the 1992 AFC Asian Cup and runner-up in 1996 as host. It won the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2007 and 2013. It finished third in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and hosted the 2019 edition in which it was eliminated in the semi-finals.

History

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The first match of the team was played on 17 March 1972 against Qatar at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium and won with the only goal scored by Ahmed Chowbi. Then, the team faced three other Arabian countries, losing 4–0 and 7–0 to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait respectively and beating Bahrain 3 to nothing. After participating in four Gulf Cup tournaments since 1972, United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the 1982 edition. It again finished third as did in the two previous tournaments.

In 1980, United Arab Emirates first-time qualified for the AFC Asian Cup which was held in Kuwait and were drawn with eventual winners, Kuwait, runner-up South Korea, Malaysia and Qatar in Group B. It drew 1–1 with Kuwait and lost the three other matches and finished in fifth place in the group and ninth (out of ten teams) overall. It also qualified for the next two tournaments, 1984 in Singapore and 1988 in Qatar and was again eliminated in the group stages in both. Its first victory of the tournament occurred against India on 7 December 1984, under manager Heshmat Mohajerani.

In 1984, Mohajerani resigned and was replaced with Carlos Alberto Parreira. Parreira led the team at the 1988 Asian Cup and left his position after the tournament. He was succeeded by Mário Zagallo. Zagallo led the team to the qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. However, Zagallo resigned before the tournament and Parreira returned. The team finished fourth at the 1990 World Cup's final tournament with no points, scoring two goals and conceding 11 goals. The journey was put into a 2016 documentary titled Lights of Rome.[3] After the tournament, Parreira was sacked.

At the 1992 and 1996 AFC Asian Cups, United Arab Emirates finished fourth and second respectively for the first times. United Arab Emirates appeared in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup after being awarded a spot because Saudi Arabia was hosting the games.

United Arab Emirates missed the qualification for the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon and finished in last place at the 2002 Arabian Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia. It was eliminated in the next three Asian Cup tournaments at the group stage. In 2004 and 2007 editions, UAE was all eliminated by the hand to debutants Jordan and Vietnam. In 2011, it finished the tournament goalless. At this time, United Arab Emirates appointed world class coaches like Carlos Queiroz, Roy Hodgson and Dick Advocaat. In 2006, UAE appointed Bruno Metsu as the new manager. He led the Emirates to carry the 2007 Arabian Gulf Cup title.

After hiring foreign coaches, in 2012, United Arab Emirates appointed the Olympic team coach Mahdi Ali as the manager of the senior team. Ali began creating a squad inviting players that he had worked with at the youth level. He led the Emirates to their second Arabian Gulf Cup title in 2013. At the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, United Arab Emirates defeated Qatar 4–1 and Bahrain 2–1 and lost to Iran by a goal. As group runner-up, it faced the defending champions Japan in the quarter-final and earned a victory on penalties to advance to the last four. In the semi-finals, it lost 2–0 to the host Australia. In the third-place play-off, it beat Iraq 3–2. United Arab Emirates qualified through the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification where it finished fourth in Group B thus failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Ahmed Khalil was a top scorer in the qualification. Around this time Mahdi Ali resigned from his position.[4]

United Arab Emirates then hosted the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, this marked the second time they hosted an AFC Asian Cup. The team had Italian Alberto Zaccheroni as their coach. In the AFC Asian Cup tournament, UAE proceeded to the quarter-finals where it scored its first-ever goal against Australia to gain its first-ever win against this opponent.[5] The semi-finals was between the host and Qatar.[6] Some audiences threw footwear in the pitch after Qatar scored its second goal. UAE lost 0–4 marking its first defeat to Qatar since 2001.

United Arab Emirates joined the second round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers and was placed with all-out Southeast Asian opponents. The team had already appointed the Dutch guider Bert van Marwijk. Bert was sacked after his start undergoing two away losses to Thailand and Vietnam in the qualifiers along his group stage exit in the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup.[7] After this, the Emirates decided to naturalize Argentine Sebastián Tagliabúe, Brazilian Caio Canedo Corrêa and Fábio Virginio de Lima, the three South American players, having never done so since the foundation of the national team.[8] The team then experienced a period of coaching instabilities, with three different coaches, before van Marwijk resumed his duty due to crisis in option. With the COVID-19 pandemic however, the AFC decided the remaining games of the second round would be played in one country,[9][10] and with the UAE chosen to host Group G, they were able to utilize the home-field advantage as the host nation, ultimately u-turned the earlier misery into four consecutive wins to break through into the third round, where they faced its neighbours and the powerhouses Iran and South Korea.[11] In the third round, the UAE failed to produce a promising performance after winning just one out of six first games, a 1–0 away win over Lebanon, drew three and lost two, adding with the UAE's below average performance in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup despite reaching the quarter-finals, that was enough to sack the Dutch manager van Marwijk yet again.[12][13][14] After inconsistency in performance, the UAE appointed Argentine manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena as coach, and the team's result improved, winning two out of four games, notably an impressive 1–0 home win over already-qualified South Korea, to reach the fourth round, increased hope for the country to qualify for the first-ever World Cup since 1990, where they would face the old foe Australia, whom the UAE defeated in the latest meeting.[15] However, the UAE was unable to utilise their geographical advantage in the playoff in neighbouring Qatar, losing 1–2 to Australia by a thunderous strike at 84' by Ajdin Hrustic to deny the UAE's its potential second appearance; they later stunned South America's rising power Peru to qualify for the edition.[16]

Rivalries

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UAE's common rivals are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Iran.[17]

Qatar

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Main article: Qatar–United Arab Emirates football rivalry

The rivalry with Qatar is a competitive one in the Arabian Gulf Cup meeting in multiple occasions, due to Qatar diplomatic crisis, increasing tensions had been witnessed, with the captain of UAE under-19 youth team refused to shake hands with Qatar's youth captain in 2018 AFC U-19 Championship held in Indonesia; in this tournament, the UAE beat Qatar 2–1 but still crashed out from the group stage while Qatar would recover to qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[18] As of 2020, Qatar and UAE have played 31 official matches, most of which was held competitively in the Arabian Gulf Cup, it started off with the United Arab Emirates beating Qatar 1–0. They only played 2 friendly games and the last friendly was held in 2011 which ended with an Emirati victory. In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by the UAE, Qatar overran the UAE for the first time since 2001 with the result 4–0, with heavy tensions and violence occurred between two and Emirati supporters cheering anti-Qatari chants.[19]

Saudi Arabia

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Another major rival the UAE takes on Arabian Gulf Cup many times, the two teams have met in the AFC Asian Cup twice, first in the semi-finals of the 1992 edition which ended in a Saudi victory and second in the final of the 1996 edition in which UAE hosted, the game ended in a goalless draw which meant the game had to be decided in penalties, the game ended with Saudi Arabia taking home their 3rd title with the penalty scoreline being 4–2, this remains the only time the Emirates qualified for the final meanwhile this would also be the last time the Saudis would win an Asian Cup as they would lose the next two finals they qualified for in 2000 and 2007. When the countries meet in qualifier matches, the matchup has been nicknamed "clash of titans" as both countries have been some of the more successful teams in the Arabian Peninsula.[20]

Team image

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Kit

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to United Arab Emirates national football team kits.

The UAE's traditional home kit is all-white with some red trim while their away kit is all-red with some white trim, in 2019, the away colors were black for the first time in addition, there were some green trim.

Manufacturer Period
  Umbro 1979–1985[21]
  Admiral 1986–1989
  Adidas 1990–1994
  Puma 1995–1996
  Kelme 1997–1999
  Adidas 2000–2001
  Umbro 2002–2005
  Adidas 2006–2008
  Erreà 2009–2013
  Adidas 2014–present

Nickname

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The United Arab Emirates is known by supporters and the media as Al-Abyad, meaning The Whites which reference to their white jersey and also Eyal Zayed which means Zayed's sons.

In October 2012, the Asian Football Confederation official website published an article about the UAE national team's campaign to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, in which the team was referred to using the racial slur "sand monkey". This was the indirect result of vandalism of the Wikipedia article on the team, and the AFC was forced to apologise.[22]

Home stadium

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As of 2022, UAE has played in 12 home stadiums. Most games have taken place at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi with Abu Dhabi's Al Jazira Stadium and Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain as other venues.

Home stadiums list
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
  Zayed Sports City Stadium 43,206 Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi v    Kyrgyzstan
(21 January 2019; 2019 AFC Asian Cup)
  Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium 42,056 Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi v    Kyrgyzstan
(30 December 2023; Friendly)
  Al Nahyan Stadium 12,201 Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi v    Thailand
(28 March 2023; Friendly)
  Hazza bin Zayed Stadium 25,053 Al Ain, Abu Dhabi v    Australia
(25 January 2019; 2019 AFC Asian Cup)
  Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium 15,000 Al Ain, Abu Dhabi v    Kuwait
(2 September 2011; 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification)
  Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium 12,000 Al Ain, Abu Dhabi v    Australia
(5 January 2011; Friendly)
  Zabeel Stadium 8,439 Dubai, Dubai v    Bahrain
(11 June 2024; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification)
  Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium 12,000 Dubai, Dubai v    Bolivia
(16 November 2018; Friendly)
  Al Maktoum Stadium 15,058 Dubai, Dubai v      Nepal
(16 November 2023; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification)
  Rashid Stadium 12,000 Dubai, Dubai v    Jordan
(24 May 2021; Friendly)
  Al Awir Stadium 10,000 Al Awir, Dubai v    Uzbekistan
(14 October 2014; Friendly)
  Sharjah Stadium 18,000 Sharjah, Sharjah v    Uzbekistan
(28 January 2009; 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification)

Results and fixtures

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Main article: United Arab Emirates national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

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16 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   4–0     Nepal Dubai, United Arab Emirates
19:45 UTC+4
Report Stadium: Al Maktoum Stadium
Attendance: 3,640
Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)
21 November 2023 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bahrain   0–2   United Arab Emirates Riffa, Bahrain
21:15 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium
Attendance: 18,267
Referee: Mohammed Al Hoish (Saudi Arabia)
30 December 2023 Friendly United Arab Emirates   1–0   Kyrgyzstan Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
19:15 UTC+4
Report Stadium: Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium
Referee: Sami Ahmed (Saudi Arabia)

2024

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6 January 2024 Unofficial Friendly United Arab Emirates   0–1   Oman Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
19:15 UTC+4 Report
Stadium: Al Nahyan Stadium
Referee: Abdulla Al-Shehri (Saudi Arabia)
14 January 2024 Asian Cup United Arab Emirates   3–1   Hong Kong Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
Attendance: 15,586
Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)
18 January 2024 Asian Cup Palestine   1–1   United Arab Emirates Al Wakrah, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
Attendance: 41,986
Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait)
23 January 2024 Asian Cup Iran   2–1   United Arab Emirates Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Education City Stadium
Attendance: 34,259
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
28 January 2024 Asian Cup R16 Tajikistan   1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p)		   United Arab Emirates Al Rayyan, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
Attendance: 33,584
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
Penalties
21 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   2–1   Yemen Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
22:00 UTC+4
Report
Stadium: Al Nahyan Stadium
Attendance: 2,948
Referee: Mohanad Qasim Sarray (Iraq)
26 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Yemen   0–3   United Arab Emirates Khobar, Saudi Arabia
22:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Prince Saud bin Jalawi Sports City
Attendance: 1,135
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
6 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Nepal     0–4   United Arab Emirates Dammam, Saudi Arabia
19:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium
Attendance: 2,450
Referee: Payam Heydari (Iran)
11 June 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   1–1   Bahrain Dubai, United Arab Emirates
21:00 UTC+4
Report
Stadium: Zabeel Stadium
Attendance: 953
Referee: Ma Ning (China)
5 September 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Qatar   1–3   United Arab Emirates Al Rayyan, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
Attendance: 33,952
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
10 September 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   0–1   Iran Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4 Report
Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
Attendance: 17,826
Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea)
10 October 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   1–1   North Korea Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4
Report
Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
Attendance: 8,536
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
15 October 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Uzbekistan   1–0   United Arab Emirates Tashkent, Uzbekistan
19:00 UTC+5
Report Stadium: Milliy Stadium
Referee: Ma Ning (China)
14 November 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   3–0   Kyrgyzstan Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
--:-- UTC+4 Report Stadium: Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium
19 November 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   v   Qatar Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
--:-- UTC+4 Report Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium

2025

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20 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   v   Iran Tehran, Iran
--:-- UTC+3:30 Stadium: Azadi Stadium
25 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   v   North Korea TBD
--:-- 
5 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   v   Uzbekistan United Arab Emirates
--:-- UTC+4
10 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification United Arab Emirates   v   Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
--:-- UTC+6 Stadium: Dolen Omurzakov Stadium

Current staff

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Main article: List of United Arab Emirates national football team managers

Last Update: November 2023[23]

Position Name
Head coach   Paulo Bento
Assistant coach   Sérgio Costa
  Filipe Coelho
  Yaser Al Saedi
  Mohamed Al Balooshi
  Rizwan Chaudhry
Goalkeeping coach   Tareq Al Suwaidi
Fitness coach   Junaid Shaikh
Doctor   Yasin Al Mansoori
Sport Scientist   Shehzad Naeem
Match Analyst   Obaid Al Muhairi

Players

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Current squad

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The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games against   Kyrgyzstan &   Qatar on 14 and 19 November 2024, respectively.[24]

Caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2024, after the match against   Kyrgyzstan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Ali Khasif (1987-06-09) 9 June 1987 (age 37) 72 0   Al Jazira
17 1GK Khalid Eisa (captain) (1989-09-15) 15 September 1989 (age 35) 82 0   Al Ain
22 1GK Adli Mohamed (2004-09-14) 14 September 2004 (age 20) 0 0   Southampton
1GK Hamad Al-Meqebaali (2003-07-13) 13 July 2003 (age 21) 0 0   Shabab Al Ahli
2 2DF Faris Khalil (2000-10-08) 8 October 2000 (age 24) 0 0   Al Wasl
3 2DF Zayed Sultan (2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 23) 12 1   Al Jazira
4 2DF Khalid Al-Hashemi (1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 27) 16 0   Al Ain
5 2DF Kouame Autonne (2000-09-22) 22 September 2000 (age 24) 4 0   Al Ain
12 2DF Khalifa Al-Hammadi (1998-11-07) 7 November 1998 (age 26) 48 2   Al Jazira
13 2DF Mohammed Al-Attas (1997-08-05) 5 August 1997 (age 27) 31 1   Al Jazira
19 2DF Khaled Ibrahim (1997-01-17) 17 January 1997 (age 27) 19 1   Sharjah
2DF Abdulla Idrees (1999-08-16) 16 August 1999 (age 25) 19 0   Al Jazira
6 3MF Majid Rashid (2000-05-16) 16 May 2000 (age 24) 18 0   Sharjah
8 3MF Tahnoon Al-Zaabi (1999-04-10) 10 April 1999 (age 25) 34 1   Al Wahda
14 3MF Marcus Meloni (2000-06-25) 25 June 2000 (age 24) 3 1   Sharjah
15 3MF Yahia Nader (1998-09-11) 11 September 1998 (age 26) 13 0   Al Ain
16 3MF Mohammed Abbas (2002-09-30) 30 September 2002 (age 22) 7 0   Al Ain
18 3MF MacKenzie Hunt (2001-11-14) 14 November 2001 (age 23) 3 0   Fleetwood Town
21 3MF Isam Faiz (2000-03-06) 6 March 2000 (age 24) 6 0   Ajman
7 4FW Junior Ndiaye (2005-03-29) 29 March 2005 (age 19) 0 0   Montpellier
9 4FW Harib Abdalla (2002-11-26) 26 November 2002 (age 21) 31 7   Shabab Al Ahli
10 4FW Fábio Lima (1993-06-30) 30 June 1993 (age 31) 32 12   Al Wasl
11 4FW Caio Canedo (1990-08-09) 9 August 1990 (age 34) 48 9   Al Wasl
20 4FW Yahya Al Ghassani (1998-04-18) 18 April 1998 (age 26) 24 6   Shabab Al Ahli
23 4FW Bruno de Oliveira (2001-06-10) 10 June 2001 (age 23) 3 0   Al Jazira
4FW Ali Saleh (2000-01-22) 22 January 2000 (age 24) 42 6   Al Wasl
4FW Fahad Badr (2001-03-09) 9 March 2001 (age 23) 3 0   Baniyas

Recent call-ups

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The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Khaled Tawhid (2004-02-16) 16 February 2004 (age 20) 1 0   Sharjah v.   Uzbekistan, 15 October 2024
GK Hassan Hamza (1994-11-10) 10 November 1994 (age 30) 0 0   Shabab Al Ahli v.   Tajikistan, 28 January 2024
DF Abdulrahman Saleh (2002-10-13) 13 October 2002 (age 22) 2 0   Al Wasl v.   North Korea, 10 October 2024
DF Khamis Al-Mansoori (2004-01-15) 15 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0   Baniyas v.   Iran, 10 September 2024 PRE
DF Bader Nasser (2001-09-16) 16 September 2001 (age 23) 13 0   Shabab Al Ahli v.   Bahrain, 11 June 2024
DF Ahmed Jamil (1999-01-16) 16 January 1999 (age 25) 10 0   Shabab Al Ahli v.   Yemen, 26 March 2024
DF Omar Haikal (2002-11-19) 19 November 2002 (age 21) 0 0   Al Wasl v.   Kyrgyzstan, 30 December 2023
DF Yousif Al-Mheiri (1999-11-30) 30 November 1999 (age 24) 0 0   Al Wasl v.   Kyrgyzstan, 30 December 2023
MF Ali Salmeen (1995-04-02) 2 April 1995 (age 29) 63 3   Al Wasl v.   Uzbekistan, 15 October 2024
MF Abdulla Hamad (2001-09-18) 18 September 2001 (age 23) 20 0   Al Wahda v.   Uzbekistan, 15 October 2024
MF Mubarak Zamah (2003-11-29) 29 November 2003 (age 20) 3 0   Al Jazira v.   Bahrain, 11 June 2024
MF Hazem Mohammad (2005-03-18) 18 March 2005 (age 19) 4 1   Al Ain v.   Bahrain, 11 June 2024
MF Abdullah Ramadan (1998-03-07) 7 March 1998 (age 26) 46 1   Al Jazira v.   Tajikistan, 28 January 2024
FW Sultan Adil (2004-05-04) 4 May 2004 (age 20) 11 6   Shabab Al Ahli v.   Qatar, 5 September 2024 PRE
FW Mohammed Jumaa (1997-01-28) 28 January 1997 (age 27) 10 1   Shabab Al Ahli v.   Qatar, 5 September 2024 PRE
FW Ali Mabkhout (1990-10-05) 5 October 1990 (age 34) 114 85   Al Nasr v.   Palestine, 18 January 2024
FW Eisa Khalfan (2003-03-12) 12 March 2003 (age 21) 0 0   Al Ain v.   Kyrgyzstan, 30 December 2023

SUS Suspended
INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury
PRE Preliminary squad
RET Retired from international association football

List of UAE squads

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Player records

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As of 30 December 2023[25]
Players in bold are still active with United Arab Emirates.

Most appearances

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Adnan Al-Talyani is United Arab Emirates' most capped player with 161 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Adnan Al-Talyani 161 52 1983–1997
2 Ismail Matar 136 36 2003–2021
3 Subait Khater 120 11 1999–2011
4 Ismail Al Hammadi 116 13 2007–2019
Abdulrahim Jumaa 116 13 1998–2009
6 Ali Mabkhout 114 85 2009–present
7 Zuhair Bakheet 112 27 1988–2002
Abdulsalam Jumaa 112 7 1997–2010
9 Muhsin Musabah 107 0 1988–1999
10 Walid Abbas 106 6 2008–2023

Top goalscorers

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Ali Mabkhout is United Arab Emirates' top scorer with 85 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ali Mabkhout (list) 85 114 0.75 2009–present
2 Adnan Al-Talyani 52 161 0.32 1983–1997
3 Ahmed Khalil 48 104 0.46 2008–2019
4 Ismail Matar 36 136 0.26 2003–2021
5 Fahad Khamees 28 68 0.41 1981–1990
Mohammad Omar 28 102 0.27 1996–2009
7 Zuhair Bakheet 27 112 0.24 1988–2002
8 Saeed Al Kass 15 60 0.25 1998–2013
9 Faisal Khalil 13 61 0.21 2001–2010
Ismail Al Hammadi 13 116 0.11 2007–2019
Abdulrahim Jumaa 13 116 0.11 1998–2009

Competitive record

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  Champion    Runners-up    Third place  

Overview
Event 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
AFC Asian Cup 0 1 1
Arabian Gulf Cup 2 4 4
Asian Games 0 1 1
Total 2 6 6

FIFA World Cup

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Main article: United Arab Emirates at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1970 Protectorate of the   United Kingdom Protectorate of the   United Kingdom
  1974 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
  1978 Withdrew Withdrew
  1982 Did not enter Did not enter
  1986 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 5 4
  1990 Group stage 24th 3 0 0 3 2 11 9 4 4 1 16 7
  1994 Did not qualify 8 6 1 1 19 4
  1998 12 5 4 3 16 13
    2002 14 7 2 5 31 20
  2006 6 3 1 2 6 6
  2010 16 4 3 9 19 24
  2014 8 2 1 5 14 16
  2018 18 9 3 6 37 17
  2022 19 9 3 7 31 16
      2026 TBD 10 6 2 2 20 6
      2030 TBD
  2034
Total Group stage 1/12 3 0 0 3 2 11 124 57 25 44 214 133

AFC Asian Cup

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Main article: United Arab Emirates at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1956 to   1972 Protectorate of the   United Kingdom Protectorate of the   United Kingdom
  1976 Did not enter Did not enter
  1980 Group stage 9th 4 0 1 3 3 9 3 1 2 0 2 0
  1984 6th 4 2 0 2 3 8 4 3 0 1 24 2
  1988 8th 4 1 0 3 2 4 5 4 1 0 12 1
  1992 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 3 4 2 2 0 0 6 3
  1996 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 2 0 8 3 Qualified as hosts
  2000 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 12 2
  2004 Group stage 15th 3 0 1 2 1 5 6 4 1 1 13 5
        2007 12th 3 1 0 2 3 6 6 4 1 1 11 6
  2011 13th 3 0 1 2 0 4 4 3 0 1 7 1
  2015 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 10 8 6 5 1 0 18 3
  2019 Semi-finals 4th 6 3 2 1 8 8 Qualified as hosts
  2023 Round of 16 10th 4 1 2 1 6 5 8 6 0 2 23 7
  2027 Qualified 6 5 1 0 16 2
Total Runners-up 12/13 48 16 14 19 47 64 54 40 7 7 144 32

FIFA Confederations Cup

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FIFA Confederations Cup
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
  1992 and   1995 Did not qualify
  1997 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 2 8
  1999 to   2017 Did not qualify
Total Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 2 8

Asian Games

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Asian Games
Year Result M W D L GF GA
1964-1982 Did not enter
  1986 Quarter-finals 5 3 2 0 7 4
  1990 Did not enter
  1994 Quarter-finals 4 1 2 1 6 5
  1998 Group stage 4 1 1 2 5 10
Total Quarter-finals 13 5 5 3 18 19

West Asian Football Federation Championship

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WAFF Championship record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
  2000 Did not participate
  2002
  2004
  2007
  2008
  2010
  2012
  2014
  2019
  2023 Qualified as hosts
Total 1/10 - - - - - -

Gulf Cup

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Gulf Cup
Year Result M W D L GF GA
  1972 Third place 3 1 0 2 1 11
 1974 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 5 9
  1976 Fifth place 6 0 2 4 4 13
  1979 Sixth place 6 1 0 5 5 18
  1982 Third place 5 3 0 2 7 6
  1984 Fourth place 6 2 3 1 5 4
  1986 Runners-up 6 3 2 1 10 7
  1988 Runners-up 6 3 2 1 7 4
  1990 Fifth place 4 0 2 2 2 8
  1992 Fourth place 5 3 0 2 4 3
  1994 Runners-up 5 3 2 0 7 1
  1996 Fourth place 5 1 3 1 5 5
  1998 Third place 5 2 1 2 5 7
  2002 Sixth place 5 1 0 4 3 7
  2003 Fifth place 6 2 1 3 6 7
  2004 Group stage 3 0 2 1 4 5
  2007 Champions 5 4 0 1 8 1
  2009 Group stage 3 1 1 1 3 4
  2010 Semi-finals 4 1 2 1 3 2
  2013 Champions 5 5 0 0 10 3
  2014 Third place 5 2 2 1 7 5
  2017 Runners-up 5 1 4 0 1 0
  2019 Group Stage 3 1 0 2 5 6
  2023 Group Stage 3 0 1 2 2 4
  2024 Qualified
  2025
Total Champions 114 41 29 41 119 139

FIFA Arab Cup

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FIFA Arab Cup
Year Round M W D L GF GA
  1963 Did not enter
  1964
  1966
  1985
  1988
  1992
  1998 Fourth place 4 1 0 3 6 8
  2002 Did not enter
2009 Cancelled
  2012 Did not enter
  2021 Quarter-Finals 4 2 0 2 3 7
Total 2/10 8 3 0 5 9 15

Arab Games

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Arab Games
Year Round M W D L GF GA
  1976 Did not enter
  1985 Group stage 3 1 0 2 2 3
  1997 Group stage 3 1 0 2 3 5
  1999 Second round 5 1 2 2 5 5
  2007 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 3 6
  2011 Did not enter
Total Fourth place 15 4 3 8 13 19

Other Tournaments

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Other
Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
  1973 Palestine Cup of Nations Group stage 8th 4 0 2 2 3 7
  1975 Palestine Cup of Nations Group stage 10th 2 0 0 2 0 8
  1981 Merdeka Tournament Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 6 10
  1982 Merdeka Tournament Group stage 5th 4 1 0 3 5 8
  1994 Friendship Tournament Third place 3rd 3 0 1 2 1 3
  1996 Friendship Tournament Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 4 2
  1998 Friendship Tournament Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 4 1
  1999 Friendship Tournament Runner-ups 2nd 3 1 2 0 7 5
  2000 Oman Cup Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 2 1
  2000 LG Cup Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 2 1
  2005 Kirin Cup Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 1 0
  2005 International Arab Friendly Tournament Runner-ups 2nd 2 0 2 0 1 1
  2007 Four Nations Tournament Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 0 6
  2008 Dubai Challenge Cup Fourth place 4th 2 0 1 1 0 1
  2009 UAE International Cup Runner-ups 2nd 2 0 1 1 0 1
  2013 OSN Cup Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 5 3
  2016 King's Cup Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 1 4
  2018 King's Cup Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 1 3
Total 6 titles 1st 48 14 14 20 43 67

Head-to-head record

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See also: United Arab Emirates national football team all-time record

As of 15 October 2024[26]

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
  Algeria 7 2 2 3 5 5 0
  Andorra 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
  Angola 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2
  Argentina 1 0 0 1 0 5 –5
  Armenia 1 0 0 1 3 4 −1
  Australia 7 1 2 4 2 7 −5
  Azerbaijan 1 0 1 0 3 3 0
  Bahrain 32 14 7 12 53 46 +7
  Bangladesh 5 5 0 0 21 1 +20
  Belarus 2 1 0 1 3 3 0
  Benin 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1
  Bolivia 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
  Brazil 1 0 0 1 0 8 −8
  Brunei 2 2 0 0 16 0 +16
  Bulgaria 6 1 0 5 4 14 −10
  Chile 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2
  China 11 2 5 4 7 17 −10
  Colombia 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2
  Costa Rica 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3
  Czech Republic 2 0 1 1 1 6 −5
  Denmark 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
  Dominican Republic 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4
  Egypt 9 1 4 4 6 10 −4
  Estonia 2 1 1 0 4 3 +1
  Finland 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
  Gabon 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
  Gambia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
  Georgia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
  Germany[a] 3 0 0 3 3 14 −11
  Haiti 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
  Honduras 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1
  Hong Kong 4 3 1 0 12 2 +10
  Hungary 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5
  Iceland 3 1 0 2 2 3 −1
  India 14 10 2 2 32 7 +25
  Indonesia 6 4 1 1 18 8 +10
  Iran 20 1 3 16 5 29 −24
  Iraq 30 7 12 11 29 43 −14
  Japan 20 6 8 6 18 22 −4
  Jordan 18 11 4 3 30 15 +15
  Kazakhstan 4 3 0 1 11 6 +5
  Kenya 1 0 1 0 2 2 0
  Kuwait 43 17 8 18 50 75 −25
  Kyrgyzstan 3 3 0 0 7 2 +5
  Laos 3 3 0 0 9 0 +9
  Lebanon 15 10 4 1 27 14 +12
  Libya 4 1 2 1 8 5 +3
  Lithuania 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
  Malaysia 12 10 0 2 32 7 +25
  Mauritania 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
  Mali 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
  Malta 2 0 2 0 1 1 0
  Mexico 1 0 1 0 2 2 0
  Moldova 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1
  Morocco 4 1 3 0 4 3 +1
  Myanmar 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3
    Nepal 3 3 0 0 19 0 +19
  New Zealand 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3
  Niger 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4
  North Korea 12 3 5 4 9 12 −3
  Norway 3 0 2 1 2 5 −3
  Oman 33 15 12 6 45 24 +21
  Pakistan 5 5 0 0 17 4 +13
  Palestine 6 2 3 1 7 3 +4
  Paraguay 2 0 1 1 0 1 –1
  Peru 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
  Philippines 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4
  Poland 3 0 0 3 2 10 −8
  Qatar 34 11 9 14 39 47 −8
  Romania 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1
  Russia 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
  Saudi Arabia 36 8 8 20 27 51 −24
  Serbia[b] 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3
  Senegal 4 1 2 1 7 8 −1
  Singapore 6 5 1 0 16 5 +11
  Slovakia 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3
  Slovenia 2 0 2 0 3 3 0
  South Africa 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
  South Korea 23 3 6 14 17 42 −25
  Sri Lanka 8 8 0 0 35 3 +32
  Sudan 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4
  Sweden 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1
   Switzerland 4 2 0 2 3 4 −1
  Syria 24 13 8 3 37 18 +19
  Tajikistan 3 1 2 0 4 3 +1
  Thailand 13 8 3 2 21 12 +9
  East Timor 2 2 0 0 9 0 +9
  Togo 2 1 0 1 3 5 −2
  Trinidad and Tobago 2 0 1 1 3 5 −2
  Tunisia 5 0 0 5 2 10 −8
  Turkmenistan 4 2 1 1 9 4 +5
  Ukraine 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
  Uruguay 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2
  Uzbekistan 18 9 4 5 25 20 +5
  Venezuela 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6
  Vietnam 7 5 0 2 16 6 +10
  Yemen[c] 15 12 0 3 34 14 +20
Total 624 256 161 210 884 755 +129
  1. ^ Includes matches against   West Germany.
  2. ^ Includes matches against   Yugoslavia.
  3. ^ Includes matches against   North Yemen.

Honours

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Continental

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Regional

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Friendly

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Summary

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Competition       Total
AFC Asian Cup 0 0 1 2
Arabian Gulf Cup 2 4 0 6
Total 2 4 1 8

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  3. ^ "UAE's 1990 World Cup journey now a documentary". Gulf News. 30 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Mahdi Ali resigns as UAE's World Cup ends with a defeat". The National. 28 March 2018. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Australia out of Asian Cup as UAE pounce on Milos Degenek error". TheGuardian.com. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  6. ^ "AFC Asian Cup: UAE-Qatar match tickets sell like hot cakes". Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  7. ^ "UAE fires coach Van Marwijk after Qatar defeat". euronews. 5 December 2019. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Why foreign footballers are getting UAE passports". gulfnews. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  9. ^ "AFC confirm hub venues for 2022 World Cup qualifiers". ESPN.com. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  10. ^ "AFC announces centralized World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers with Arab nations hosting five groups". Arab News PK. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  11. ^ McAuley, John (15 June 2021). "UAE advance to 2022 World Cup qualification third round after crucial win over Vietnam". The National. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Group A: UAE beat Lebanon for first win". Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  13. ^ "UAE crash out of Fifa Arab Cup with 5-0 quarter-final defeat in Qatar". 11 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Dutchman van Marwijk fired as UAE coach for second time". Reuters. 12 February 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Football: UAE stun South Korea to earn World Cup playoff with Australia | the Straits Times". 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  16. ^ "United Arab Emirates 1-2 Australia: World Cup 2022 qualifying playoff – as it happened". TheGuardian.com. 7 June 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  17. ^ Dorsey, James M. (29 July 2013). "Gulf rivalry between Iran, UAE transferred to the football pitch". Hurriyet Daily. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  18. ^ "Political tension spills on the pitch between UAE and Qatar in AFC U19". foxnews. 18 October 2018. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  19. ^ "UAE fans throw shoes and bottles at "Qatari" players". 27 January 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  20. ^ Prashant, N. D. "UAE take on Saudi Arabia in clash of titans". gulfnews.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  21. ^ "old united arab emirates football shirts". oldfootballshirts. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  22. ^ Bailey, Ryan (15 October 2012). "Asian Football Confederation apologize for calling UAE national team 'Sand Monkeys'". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  23. ^ Officials
  24. ^ "Our squad for this month's World Cup 2026 Qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Qatar" (Tweet). Twitter.com. UAE NT. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  25. ^ Roberto Mamrud; Karel Stokkermans. "United Arab Emirates – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: United Arab Emirates". Eloratings.net. 5 January 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Friendship Tournament 2000 (UAE)". Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Oman International Tournament 2000". Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
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