UAE today secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Qatar in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 2026 at Al Nahyan Stadium here.

Fabio Lima’s exceptional performance, highlighted by a first-half hat-trick, helped solidify the UAE’s position in third place in Group B.

Lima’s clinical finishing, which included a spectacular free-kick, and a well-taken penalty, set the tone for the match. Yahya Al Ghassani added a fifth goal to complete a resounding victory for the UAE.

With this result, the UAE now has 10 points from six matches. While they trail Uzbekistan and Iran in the race for automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Whites remain in a strong position to contend for a top-two finish.

Qatar, despite their recent resurgence, suffered a setback with this defeat. The Asian Cup champions now face an uphill battle to secure qualification.