UAE hope to turn 'suffering' into strength in Tehran showdown

UAE manager Paulo Bento is confident his team has grown from the "sufferings of the past" as they prepare for a pivotal week in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

The UAE enter the latest round of Asian third-round qualifiers sitting third in Group A, trailing leaders Iran by six points and second-placed Uzbekistan by three. With only the top two teams guaranteed a spot at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the margin for error is razor-thin.

Thursday evening presents a daunting challenge: a clash with group leaders Iran in Tehran. The Iranians, six-time World Cup finalists, have been imperious so far, remaining unbeaten and racking up ten goals across their last three matches.

In the reverse fixture, the UAE delivered a spirited performance but succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat. Clear scoring opportunities were scarce against Iran’s disciplined defence, and the heartbreak was compounded in the dying minutes when a VAR review overturned a penalty decision in the UAE's favour.

The result meant the UAE still remain without a victory against Iran in a competitive match.

Bento, however, sees opportunity in adversity. He believes that the lessons learned from that defeat, and the “suffering” his players endured, can fuel a better outcome at the Azadi Stadium.

“We are striving for a better position in these qualifiers, and we are working towards that, one match at a time and step by step,” Bento told reporters. “As for me, I am happy with the players, especially since they are performing well.

“I expect a very strong match against the Iranian team, which is one of the strongest teams in the group and also one of the strongest teams in Asia. We have suffered in previous matches against these teams, but we have learned from that and will do our best.

“In some matches, the team did not deserve to lose.

“The current camp is the shortest compared to previous national team camps, as it is always better to prepare in sufficient time. But we must deal with the situation.

“We are working to get the national team players fully prepared. We started the camp with a specific group of players, but training continued after all the players had joined.”

After their showdown with Iran, the Whites will turn their attention to a clash against North Korea in Saudi Arabia next Tuesday. Their last meeting with the East Asian side ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium - a disappointing result against a team ranked outside FIFA’s top 100.

A repeat of that performance would be a significant setback for the UAE’s World Cup ambitions, leaving little room for recovery in an already tight qualification race.