26 March 2025
The UAE Football Association dismissed Portuguese Paulo Bento, the national team's coach, and his technical staff just eight hours after the 2-1 victory over North Korea on Tuesday. The match was held in the eighth round of Group A matches in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The dismissal decision came at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, a timing that raised questions, especially given the availability of time for the next round of qualifiers against Uzbekistan on June 5.
According to Al Khaleej Sports, Bento's dismissal is a clear message of the UAE Football Association's dissatisfaction with Bento's management of the national team. He was given every opportunity to succeed, particularly given the inclusion of new players, who, in the final squad, comprised 12 elite players in the league. They were supposed to be significant additions, but the opposite happened due to the Portuguese coach's stubbornness in selecting the right players. The newspaper added that it became clear from the lineups for the Iran and North Korea matches that Bento was no longer fit to lead the national team, having fielded a completely different lineup against Korea than against Iran.
The Football Association has reached the conclusion that what must be saved must be salvaged, especially since the Whites' chances still exist, whether by qualifying directly for the World Cup or via the playoffs.
Bento took over the UAE national team on a three-year contract on July 9, 2023, succeeding Argentine Rodolfo Arruabarrena. He led the UAE in 25 matches, winning 13, losing and drawing 12.
The Portuguese coach previously led his country and South Korea to the World Cup finals in 2014 and 2022.
The UAE currently sits third in Group A with 13 points.
Iran maintains its lead in the group with 20 points from eight matches and has already secured World Cup qualification after round seven.
Uzbekistan, on the other hand, is second with 17 points, while Qatar is fourth with 10 points, Kyrgyzstan has six points, and North Korea has two points.
The ninth and penultimate round of Group A matches will be held on June 5.
The UAE will meet Uzbekistan, Qatar will meet Iran, and North Korea will meet Kyrgyzstan.
