UAE's forward #10 Fabio de Lima celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between UAE and Qatar at the Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Fabio Lima netted four goals propelling the United Arab Emirates to a commanding 5-0 victory over Qatar in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The heavy defeat dealt a significant blow to Qatar’s direct qualifying hopes leaving them fourth in Group A with seven points, nine behind group leaders Iran and six adrift of second-placed Uzbekistan.
Paulo Bento’s UAE strengthened their grip on third place climbing to 10 points while Kyrgyzstan (3 points) and North Korea (2 points) remain at the bottom of the standings.
UAE's players pose for a picture with the fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between UAE and Qatar at the Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
Brazil-born Lima was the star of the show opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a sharp finish from Yahya Al Ghassani’s precise cross.
He doubled the lead in the 45th minute converting a penalty and completed his first-half heroics with a sublime free kick in stoppage time (45+5).
The Al Wasl forward added his fourth in the 56th minute with another penalty while Al Ghassani capped the victory in the 73rd minute with a well-taken strike.
UAE also defeated Qatar 3-1 in their first clash in Al Rayyan in September.
Marquez Lopez’s Asian champions endured their worst performance of the campaign failing to register a single shot on target despite enjoying superior ball possession. Qatar came close to scoring when Mohammed Waad struck the far post in the first half, followed by Ahmed Fathy hitting the crossbar just after the hour mark.
Qatar's Spanish coach Marquez Lopez speaks to his players during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between UAE and Qatar at the Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
“We planned to approach the match with a specific strategy but the early goal disrupted our plans and the UAE outperformed us,” said Lopez.
The Qatar coach, who was aiming to build on Qatar’s last-minute victory over Uzbekistan on Thursday, added: “We were looking forward to another win, but we couldn’t capitalise on the confidence gained from the previous match. We paid the price for individual mistakes from several players.”
"Iran and Uzbekistan have great chances of qualifying directly while the rest of the teams in the group still have hopes of qualifying directly or through the play-offs. There was no fatigue. I was not at my best and the team was not at their best, so we lost," Lopez added.
UAE's forward #10 Fabio de Lima celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between UAE and Qatar at the Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
Lima opened the floodgates early slotting home from close range after Al Ghassani’s cross slipped past Boualem Khoukhi and Tarek Salman, who failed to intercept. Qatar’s Ibrahim Al Hassan tried his luck from outside the box in the 24th minute but missed the target and Khoukhi’s free-kick shortly after also went high and wide.
The visitors almost equalised in the 28th minute when Akram Afif delivered a pinpoint through ball to Waad, whose shot from the left side struck the far post.
UAE responded with Al Ghassani striking the crossbar four minutes later.
A foul by Lucas Mendes on Harib Abdalla Suhail following a save from Meshaal Barsham earned the hosts a penalty which Lima converted with ease. The forward added a stunning free kick just before halftime, putting UAE firmly in control.
UAE's defender #12 Khalifa Al-Hammadi fights for the ball with Qatar's forward #09 Mohammed Muntari during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between UAE and Qatar at the Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
Lopez introduced fresh legs at halftime, bringing on Mohammed Muntari, Ismaeel Mohammad, Yusuf Abdurisag and Homam El Amin. However, the substitutions failed to spark a comeback.
Lima completed his super hat-trick with another penalty in the 56th minute, awarded after Barsham was penalised for fouling Al Ghassani. Fathy came close to a consolation goal for Qatar with a shot that hit the bar in the 62nd minute. Al Ghassani then sealed the rout in the 73rd minute, finishing from the center of the box after a Khaled Ebraheim assist.
Qatar’s mathematical chances of a top-two finish in the group to earn automatic qualification still exist with four matches remaining. The Asian Qualifiers will now take a break resuming in March next year. Qatar will face North Korea on March 20 as they seek to revive their campaign.
