A Dramatic Penalty Sends Iraq Through and Eliminates the UAE From the World Cup Playoff

Iraq qualified for the intercontinental playoff leading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a “Hitchcock-like scenario” that ended with a 2-1 victory over the UAE in the dying moments of the Asian playoff second leg at Basra International Stadium, following their 1-1 draw in the first leg in Abu Dhabi.

Amir Al-Ammari scored the decisive qualification goal in the 90+17th minute from the penalty spot, after substitute Mohanad Ali “Mimi” equalized for Iraq (66), following the UAE’s opener through Caio Lucas (52).

Iraq will now play in the intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 2026, which includes representatives from Africa (DR Congo), South America (Bolivia), CONCACAF (two teams), and Oceania (New Caledonia), to determine the two final qualified teams for the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

The “Lions of Mesopotamia” will be aiming to reach the finals for the second time in their history, after their sole appearance in the 1986 edition in Mexico, while the UAE will miss out once again after their only World Cup appearance in 1990 in Italy.

In front of around 60,000 spectators, Iraq snatched the win and qualification thanks to the substitutions made by Australian coach Graham Arnold, who was missing five key players due to injuries, yet still managed to secure his fourth victory over the UAE in eight encounters — compared to two wins for the Emiratis and two draws.

The “Whites” attempted to strike first with a shot by Luan Pereira (5), followed by another effort from Ruben Amaral that was saved by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan (25). But Lucas broke the deadlock when he finished a cross from Yahya Nader (51).

Coach Arnold quickly introduced both Zidane Iqbal and Mohanad Ali (56), and the latter found the equalizer ten minutes after coming on with a header following a long pass from Amir Al-Ammari (65). “Mimi” nearly completed the turnaround but missed a clear chance in front of goal (84).

The extraordinary twist came in the 17th minute of stoppage time when the referee awarded Iraq a penalty after a VAR review confirmed a handball on Nader. Al-Ammari stepped up and converted confidently, triggering wild celebrations.