On March 20, 2025, Iran secured their path towards the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a decisive 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates in a crucial AFC Asian Qualifiers match held at Tehran's Azadi Stadium. The triumph has placed Iran at the top of Group A, just a step away from confirming their berth in the upcoming World Cup.
Sardar Azmoun and Mohammad Mohebi were the stars of the night, each finding the back of the net to seal the deal for Iran. Azmoun scored the first goal in the dying moments of the first half, and Mohebi doubled the lead in the second half, putting the UAE's hopes of qualification in jeopardy.
The match, however, was marred by a moment of chaos as a floodlight failure halted play for nearly 30 minutes, forcing both teams to retreat from the pitch in the early stages of the game. Referee Ko Hyung-Jin was left with no choice but to extend the first half by 29 minutes to compensate for this unforeseen delay.
Iran had nearly taken the lead much earlier when Mehdi Ghayedi's pass found Azmoun, who set up Mohebi for a clear shot on goal, but UAE's goalkeeper Khalid Eisa saved the day, deflecting the attempt. As the first half unfolded, the UAE seemed to have the better chances, particularly when Caio Lucas found himself one-on-one with Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand but squandered the opportunity, sending the ball wide of the post.
Just before halftime, Iran managed to capitalize on a defensive lapse from the UAE. A neat pass from Saman Ghoddos to Azmoun allowed the latter to send a deft header past Eisa, breaking the deadlock and sending the crowd into raptures. This was a bitter blow for the UAE, who had outperformed Iran statistically in the first 45 minutes.
As the second half commenced, Iran remained relentless. Although an early move by Mohebi was flagged offside after a VAR review, the game turned decidedly in Iran's favor. Mohebi eventually scored in the 70th minute, showcasing his pace as he slipped past Kouame Kouadio and expertly slotted the ball into the net, effectively putting the game beyond UAE's reach.
The situation for the UAE is now precarious. Following this loss, they remain in third place in Group A, six points behind Iran, who are the group leaders, and three points behind Uzbekistan, who also secured a victory against Kyrgyzstan. With the top two teams earning automatic qualification for the World Cup, the UAE's chances are dwindling.
In a desperate attempt to salvage their campaign, the UAE will face North Korea in Saudi Arabia on March 25, 2025. They are also counting on Iran to defeat Uzbekistan in the same matchday, a result that would potentially close the gap as they inch closer to a crucial encounter with Uzbekistan in June.
The stakes are extremely high in Group A of the Asian qualifiers, particularly with Asia holding eight direct qualifications for the upcoming World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The third and fourth placed teams in each group will need to engage in a complex playoff phase to secure any remaining slots.
Iran's performance not only inches them closer to qualification but showcases their determination to make it to their fourth consecutive World Cup. With a strong record in the qualifiers and fierce competition on the way, they appear poised to achieve their aspirations of appearing on football's biggest stage once again.
The aftermath of the match proved to be a somber moment for the UAE as Paulo Bento’s men must regroup quickly or risk saying goodbye to their World Cup dreams.
