The United Arab Emirates national football team (Arabic: مُنْتَخَبُ دَوْلَةِ الْإِمَارَاتِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ الْمُتَّحِدَةِ الْوَطَنِيُّ لِكُرَةِ الْقَدَمِ) represents United Arab Emirates in men's international football and serves under the auspices of the country's Football Association.
The United Arab Emirates has made one appearance at the FIFA World Cup, qualifying for the 1990 tournament in Italy, where it lost all three group-stage matches. The team finished as runners-up at the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, which it hosted, and subsequently qualified for the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup as the Asian representatives. It won the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2007 and 2013 after finishing as runners-up on several occasions. At the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, the UAE finished third after defeating the defending champions in the quarter-finals. The team hosted the 2019 edition, where it again eliminated the defending champions before being knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual champions. The national team secured third place in its third appearance at the FIFA Arab Cup in 2025.
Contents
History
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. After the tournament, Parreira was sacked.
At the 1992 and 1996 AFC Asian Cups, United Arab Emirates finished fourth and runners-up 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.
Rivalries
UAE's common rivals are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Iran.
Qatar
The rivalry with Qatar is a competitive one in the Arabian Gulf Cup meeting on multiple occasions. Due to the 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. 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. In the year prior to the 2026 World Cup qualification fourth round, the UAE achieved notable victories over Qatar, demonstrating a shift in momentum in their rivalry. On 5 September 2024, the UAE defeated Qatar 3–1 in Doha during the third round of World Cup qualifiers, overturning an early goal by Qatar to secure a comeback win with goals from Harib Suhail, Khalid Al Dhanhani, and Ali Saleh. Later, on 19 November 2024, the UAE delivered a historic 5–0 victory against Qatar in Abu Dhabi, marking their largest win over Qatar in history. Fabio Lima starred in the match with four goals, complemented by Yahya Al Ghassani's strike, showcasing a dominant performance that boosted the UAE's standing in the qualification group.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification fourth round fixture between the two nations, riots broke out as Emirati fans invaded the pitch while throwing plastic bottles and footwear, as a result of a clear refereeing injustice throughout the match, after Qatar scored a goal. With Sultan Adel scoring late for the UAE, Qatar would win the match 2–1 and secure a qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup while the UAE would qualify for the fifth round instead. The match also sparked significant controversy regarding the officiating, as the decisive match was stopped 92 times with numerous decisions by the referee and the match's time wasting, which the actual playing time was 48 minutes out of 109, were widely criticized by Emirati fans, analysts, and media outlets. Observers highlighted several instances where fouls and potential penalty situations in favor of the UAE were not awarded, including a crucial corner kick that was ignored. Conversely, minor infractions by UAE players were frequently called as fouls, and several yellow cards were issued without clear justification. Additionally, physical challenges and aggressive behavior by Qatari players against Emirati players were perceived to go unpunished, further fueling claims of biased officiating. Critics also questioned the neutrality of the venue, noting that the match was played in conditions perceived as favoring Qatar. The cumulative effect of these issues, along with the inconsistent management of added time, led to heightened tensions among fans and ultimately contributed to the pitch invasions and violent reactions following Qatar's goals. While no formal protest was lodged with FIFA or the AFC, the perceived lack of fairness became a central talking point in the aftermath of the game.
Saudi Arabia
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.
Team image
Kit
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.
Nickname
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.
Home stadium
As of 2025, 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.
Results and fixtures
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
Current staff
Last Update: 24 September 2026
Players
Current squad
The following 26 players were called up by coach Zlatko Dalić for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 23 September to 6 October 2026.
Caps and goals updated as of 6 October 2026, after the match against Saudi Arabia.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last 12 months.
List of UAE Squads
1990 World Cup squad
1997 Confederations Cup squad
2012 Summer Olympics squad
1980 Asian Cup squad
1984 Asian Cup squad
1988 Asian Cup squad
1992 Asian Cup squad
1996 Asian Cup squad
2004 Asian Cup squad
2007 Asian Cup squad
2011 Asian Cup squad
2015 Asian Cup squad
2019 Asian Cup squad
2023 Asian Cup squad
2002 Asian Games squad
2006 Asian Games squad
2010 Asian Games squad
2014 Asian Games squad
2018 Asian Games squad
2026 Asian Games squad
1998 Arab Cup squad
2021 FIFA Arab Cup squad
2025 FIFA Arab Cup squad
18th Arabian Gulf Cup squad
19th Arabian Gulf Cup squad
20th Arabian Gulf Cup squad
Player records
As of 14 October 2025
Players in bold are still active with United Arab Emirates.
Competitive record
Champion Runners-up Third place
Head-to-head record
As of 6 October 2026
Honours
Continental
AFC Asian Cup
Runners-up (1): 1996
Third place (1): 2015
Asian Games
Runners-up (1): 2010
Third place (1): 2018
Regional
FIFA Arab Cup1
Third place (1): 2025
Arabian Gulf Cup
Champions (2): 2007, 2013
Runners-up (5): 1986, 1988, 1994, 2017–18, 2026
Third place (4): 1972, 1982, 1998, 2014
Friendly
Friendship Tournament
Champions (3): 1996, 1998, 2000
Runners-up (1): 1999
Third place (1): 2001
Oman Cup
Champions (1): 2000
Kirin Cup
Champions (1): 2005
LG Cup
Champions (1): 2000
OSN Cup
Champions (1): 2013
UAE International Cup
Runners-up (1): 2009
International Arab Friendly Tournament
Runners-up (1): 2005
Summary
Only official honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).
Notes
Official subregional competition organized and recognized by FIFA since 2021. Previous editions were organized by UAFA.
Inclusion of naturalized players
The naturalization of foreign-born football players for representation of the United Arab Emirates national football team involves the acquisition of Emirati citizenship on a dual-nationality basis without inclusion in the UAE family book after several years of continuous residence in the country, and is governed by a combination of United Arab Emirates nationality legislation and the eligibility regulations of FIFA.
In November 2017, a presidential decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan permitted non-Emirati athletes to participate in official domestic sporting competitions alongside Emirati citizens. The measures included provisions concerning individuals born to Emirati mothers and non-Emirati fathers, persons born in the United Arab Emirates to non-Emirati parents, holders of UAE passports (stateless people), and long-term foreign residents.
Prior to this shift, naturalized players were relatively rare in the UAE national team. Notable examples include Qatar-born Mutaz Abdulla in 2000, Qatar-born Mohammed Salem Al-Anzi in 2009, Morocco-born Ismail Ahmed in 2012, and the Saudi Arabia-born brothers Mohammed Abdulrahman in 2010 and Omar Abdulrahman in 2007. The latter two are sometimes excluded from this category, as they developed within the UAE’s football system.
Foreign professional footballers who move to the United Arab Emirates as adults may be granted Emirati nationality to represent the United Arab Emirates national team through exceptional naturalization procedures. Such cases are subject to approval by the relevant authorities, including the UAE Ministry of Sports and the UAE president, and may involve nominations from local sports organizations such as the UAE Pro League Committee and the UAE Football Association. Naturalization of professional athletes has generally been selective and has included players who have established long-term careers in the UAE.
Early cases
Among the first high-profile cases following the relatively uncommon cases discussed earlier were Argentine-born Sebastián Tagliabué of Al Wahda, Brazilian-born Fábio Lima of Al Wasl, and Brazilian-born Caio Canedo of Al Ain, all of whom were called up to the United Arab Emirates national team by the Colombian coach Jorge Pinto in August 2020.
Subsequent high-profile cases included Moroccan-born Isam Faiz of Ajman, who was called up by the Portuguese coach Paulo Bento in March 2024.
By September 2024, Ivorian-born Kouame Auttone of Al Ain, Bahraini-born Adli Mohamed of English club Southampton, and English-born Mackenzie Hunt of English club Fleetwood Town had also been called up to the national team. Mohamed and Hunt were considered members of expatriate communities residing in the United Arab Emirates.
Further cases emerged by October 2024, when Brazilian-born Marcus Meloni of Sharjah and Brazilian-born Bruno of Al Jazira received national team call-ups.
In December 2024, Brazilian-born Lucas Pimenta of Al Wahda and Ghanaian-born Solomon Sosu of Al Ain were also called up. In March 2025, the call-ups included Brazilian-born Jonatas Santos of Al Wasl, Brazilian-born Luanzinho of Sharjah who had previously represented Brazil at yoth level, Brazilian-born Caio Lucas of Sharjah, and Tunisian-born Ala Zhir of Al Wahda.
By June 2025, additional cases by the Romanian coach Cosmin Olăroiu included Croatian-born Sasa Ivkovic of Al Wahda who had previously represented Serbia at youth level, Brazilian-born Lithierry Silva of Ajman, and Brazilian-born Alvaro de Oliveira of Al Bataeh.
Following these cases, the recruitment and naturalization of foreign-born footballers for the United Arab Emirates national team became more widespread, with the range of players considered for national team representation expanding over time. Foreign players who did not qualify automatically to represent the national team through birth or descent generally had to satisfy the five-year continuous-residence requirement under the eligibility regulations of the FIFA among other conditions such as not having previously represented another senior national team in official matches, depending on the specific circumstances.
Composition of the Squad
Since the first appearance of a naturalized player in the history of the United Arab Emirates national football team in 2000, the team had featured only a limited number of naturalized players, with a few exceptional cases occurring between 2000 and 2020. Their numbers began to increase gradually from 2024 onwards. However, prior to July 2025, the team had never fielded a squad in which naturalized players constituted a majority of the players called up.
This changed in July 2025, following the conclusion of the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Under Romanian head coach Cosmin Olăroiu, the UAE national team held a training camp in Austria, during which it played unofficial friendly matches against Slovenian club Bravo and Italian club Lecce, winning both matches. The 29-player squad marked the first time in the team’s history that naturalized players formed a majority of the roster. Of the players called up, 19 were naturalized, including five new additions. Ten were born in Brazil, two in Argentina, and one each in Bahrain, England, Portugal, Croatia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia. The remaining 10 players were born in the UAE.
The first official matches involving a UAE squad composed primarily of naturalized players took place in August 2025, when the team played friendly matches against Syria and Bahrain during a training camp in Dubai. The UAE won both matches. Of the 28 players called up, 16 were naturalized: nine were born in Brazil, two in Argentina, and one each in England, Tunisia, Portugal, Ivory Coast, and Croatia. The remaining 12 players were born in the UAE.
In September 2025, ahead of the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the UAE announced an expanded squad that was the first in the team’s history to consist primarily of naturalized players. The 32-player roster included 17 naturalized players, one of whom was a new addition. Eleven were born in Brazil, while one each was born in Portugal, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Ghana, and England. The remaining 15 players were born in the UAE.
The UAE’s first competitive match with a majority-naturalized squad took place in October 2025, during the second and final match of the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Qatar. Of the 23 players selected, 12 were naturalized: eight were born in Brazil, and one each in Tunisia, Portugal, Ivory Coast, and Argentina. The remaining 11 players were born in the UAE. Although the UAE lost the match, they advanced to the fifth round of qualification.