The Iraqi national team earned an important point from their Emirati hosts after drawing 1-1 in the first leg of the Asian playoff qualifying for the global playoff, which in turn determines the qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The match took place at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, officiated by Australian referee Sean Evans, in front of an audience exceeding 32,000 spectators, where both teams delivered an exciting match filled with significant thrilling moments in each half.

The Iraqi team started strongly from the first minutes, relying on intense pressure and varying their attacks from the flanks and the center, successfully translating this advantage into an early goal in the tenth minute through Ali Al-Hamadi, who exploited a deceptive cross in which the Emirati defense made a judgment error, scoring the first goal for Iraq and giving his team an early lead.

Despite the strong start, the Emirati team managed to equalize quickly in the 18th minute through Luan Pereira, who accurately capitalized on a cross and scored with a well-placed header to bring the match back to a state of balance.

Ali Al-Hamadi stood out remarkably throughout the match, consistently posing a threat to the Emirati defense, creating numerous opportunities, and coming close to scoring a second goal; however, Emirati goalkeeper Khalid Issa brilliantly denied the most significant chances, preventing Iraq from extending their lead.

Despite the initial dominance, the Iraqi team struggled in the second half under the impact of significant crowd pressure and the rising pace of the UAE, especially after the 60th minute, as the players began to hesitate in decision-making, leading to a slight decline in performance level.

The substitutions made by coach Graham Arnold did not contribute to restoring balance effectively, as they came late and were not well-calculated, especially his substitution of Al-Hamadi for Ayman Hussein, who did not show the required readiness, affecting the team’s attacking performance.

Despite the difficulties, Iraq managed to maintain the precious draw until the final whistle, coming away from the UAE with a valuable point, keeping them in the race ahead of the anticipated return match at Al-Basra's Palm Trunk Stadium next Tuesday, where a massive crowd of over 65,000 spectators is expected to support the Lions of Mesopotamia in their quest for qualification to the global playoff.