“Lima! Lima! Lima!” echoed around the near-capacity crowd at Al Nahyan Stadium as the UAE’s No. 10 ignited the evening with an early goal against Qatar in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The chant became the soundtrack of a first half dominated by the playmaker, who dazzled with a hat trick in the opening 45 minutes that set the tone for a 5-0 demolition of their Gulf rivals.
The Al Wasl star’s second came from the penalty spot, coolly slotted past Qatar’s Meshaal Aissa Barsham. Then, just before halftime, he delivered a breathtaking free kick from 25 yards, curling the ball into the top corner to complete his treble and send the home crowd into raptures.
It was a first-half masterclass from Fábio Lima, making only his second start of the campaign, as he orchestrated the game from his No. 10 role.
He helped the UAE control the opening 45 minutes, but the whole team played their part in limiting Qatar, who are 22 places above the UAE in the world rankings, to a handful of half-chances.
The No. 10 struck again early in the second half, again from the penalty spot after Barsham brought down Yahya Alghassani following a surging run.
Lima’s second penalty of the game was dispatched with even more confidence than the first - straight down the middle, making it four goals to his name and four for the UAE.
By this point, the jubilant crowd could hardly contain themselves. At one stage, fans turned their backs on the action to perform the Poznan celebration, linking arms and jumping in unison to show their admiration at the dominance unfolding on the pitch.
The atmosphere reached fever pitch when Alghassani added a fifth goal with 15 minutes remaining. Latching onto a precise long ball from Khaled Al Dhanhani, he coolly slotted past Barsham to seal the UAE’s largest-ever win against Qatar.
It was a particularly sweet triumph for the Whites, who have now done the double over their Gulf counterparts in this campaign, ending an nine-year winless streak in the rivalry.
The emphatic victory leaves the UAE in third place in Group A with 10 points, three behind Uzbekistan, who occupy the second automatic qualification spot for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The UAE will resume their qualification campaign in March next year with another crucial match against table-toppers Iran, who currently lead the group with 13 points.
