Iraq vs United Arab Emirates prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 18 November 2025
On November 18, 2025, the fifth qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup will feature a decisive clash as Iraq hosts the United Arab Emirates. The match kicks off at 17:00 Central European Time. Let’s break down what to expect from this high-stakes showdown.
Match preview
Iraq has earned another shot at World Cup qualification, this time through the fifth qualifying round. In the previous, fourth round, the team defeated Indonesia and drew with Saudi Arabia. As a result, Iraq finished level on points with Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis advanced to the World Cup thanks to a superior goal difference.
Back in the third round, Iraq also performed admirably, but finished just one point behind Jordan, who claimed second place. In other words, Iraq has been consistently close to success, just falling short each time. In the first leg of the current qualifying stage, Iraq struck early but the UAE responded and equalized — the match ended 1-1.
The UAE national team has also shown solid form. In the fourth round, Romanian coach Cosmin Olăroiu’s side lost to Qatar, who earned direct World Cup qualification, leaving the UAE to battle through the additional round.
For most of the third qualifying cycle, the team was managed by Portuguese coach Paulo Bento. However, results under him were less impressive: the UAE finished third in their group, six points adrift of Uzbekistan, who claimed a World Cup berth.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Iraq are unbeaten in their last six matches.
- Six of Iraq’s last seven games have featured fewer than three goals.
- The United Arab Emirates have conceded in each of their last three matches.
- Both teams have scored in six of the UAE’s last seven games.
- In the last ten meetings between these teams, the UAE hold the edge with four wins; Iraq have won three, and three matches have ended in a draw.
- The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw — everything will be decided in this match.
Probable lineups
- Iraq: Hassan - Ali H., Tahseen, Hashem, Doski - Farji, Sher, Al-Ammari, Jasim - Al-Hamadi, Ali M.
- United Arab Emirates: Elsa - Meloni, Zouhir, Pimenta, Amaral - Pereira, Nader, Ramadan, Adil - Giménez, Abdullah
Prediction
I expect this to be a low-scoring affair. With so much on the line, both teams are likely to play cautiously and avoid unnecessary risks. My prediction is under 2 total goals.
