Asian football fans are looking forward to the anticipated match between the teams of Iraq and the UAE in the fifth round of the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup.

Iraq and the UAE will play two matches, home and away, on November 13 and 18, and the winner of the two matches will secure a ticket to the global playoff, which ultimately grants two direct spots to the 2026 World Cup finals.

Global playoff system:

It includes 6 teams from different continents:

• Two teams from North America (yet to be determined)


• One team from Asia (the winner of Iraq or the UAE)


• One team from Africa (semi-finals: Gabon vs. Nigeria, Cameroon vs. Congo / final: the winner of the first semi-final against the winner of the second semi-final / the winner qualifies directly to the global playoff).

• One team from South America (Bolivia)


• One team from Oceania (New Caledonia)

Qualification mechanism:

• The four lowest-ranked teams face off in semi-finals against each other.

• The top two teams in the FIFA ranking qualify directly to the final round.

• The winners in the final secure the remaining two spots in the 2026 World Cup.

The global playoff matches are scheduled to take place next March on neutral ground, and sources indicate that Mexico is the leading candidate to host the competitions.