Every nation has its dreams and ambitions to be at the heart of local and international events, and at the core of global developmental competitions; political, economic, cultural, and sporting fields alike.

In the realm of football, the world’s most popular sport, the focus is on the national football team, where the United Arab Emirates has achieved several sporting football accomplishments:

In the Gulf Cup Championship: the UAE won the gold medal twice (2007, 2013), silver runner-up four times (1986, 1988, 1994, 2017), and bronze third place six times (1972, 1974, 1982, 1998, 2010, 2014).

In the Asian Cup Championship: silver runner-up (1996), bronze third place (2015), while the UAE White secured participation in the 2027 Asian Cup after topping their group in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup without any losses, advancing to the third stage of the qualifiers.

Regarding the World Cup qualifiers; the UAE national team has participated only once in its history, in the 1990 edition in Italy. Now, amid a “national dream,” it aims to participate again in the 2026 FIFA World Cup; an exceptional global football tournament held for the first time in history across three North American countries (Canada, Mexico, United States), featuring 48 national teams competing in 104 matches across 16 stadiums in 16 cities from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with hopes of achieving proud results in the global football World Cup.

The UAE team is currently competing in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, involving the third and fourth-placed teams from the third round groups. The UAE is in a group with its Gulf neighbors Qatar and Oman, and must top the group to qualify directly for the World Cup. The opportunity is favorable after defeating Oman in the first match; they must either beat or draw with Qatar to avoid entering a tense playoff scenario against the runner-up of another group for a chance to qualify.

Thus, the ball is now in the UAE national team’s court, including its technical, administrative, and sporting staff represented by the players. The national sporting dream is close to realization, aiming to repeat the joyous scene of 1990. The UAE leadership and people hope this ascent continues, allowing football fans, especially Emirati ones, to enjoy exciting and thrilling times.