Ex-Vasco player faces play-off with national team for 2026 World Cup spot | OneFootball

The United Arab Emirates still dream of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. After missing out on a direct spot, the Middle Eastern team will try to reach the tournament through the playoffs, and one of the protagonists of this campaign is the naturalized Brazilian Fábio Lima, a former Vasco player.

The team was defeated 2–1 by Qatar last Tuesday (14). The result dashed hopes of early qualification, as the UAE only needed a draw. Qatar, which needed to win, secured a direct spot at the World Cup with the victory.

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Fábio Lima is the UAE’s No. 10 – Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP

Fábio Lima started on the bench and came on in the 88th minute. Even with little time on the pitch, the midfielder was decisive by providing the assist for Sultan Adil’s goal, which cut the deficit. Still, it wasn’t enough to deny the Qataris the win.

Developed at Icasa and with a brief stint at Vasco in 2013, the player has been one of the pillars of the UAE national team since he naturalized in February 2020. His first call-up came in October of the same year, and since then he has established himself as a standout. In November 2024, he even scored four goals in a rout of Qatar in the Qualifiers.

In the playoffs, the United Arab Emirates will face Iraq, who drew 0–0 with Saudi Arabia in the last round of the Qualifiers. The clash will decide who stays alive in the fight for a spot not achieved this century.

The last time the United Arab Emirates played in a World Cup was in 1990. That year, the team exited in the group stage after three defeats to Germany, Yugoslavia, and Colombia. Even with the tournament’s worst defense, conceding 11 goals, they scored two goals that went down in the country’s history — one against the Germans and another against the Yugoslavs.

+ Fábio Lima is the UAE’s No. 10 – Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP

Photo: Reproduction.

Now, Fábio Lima is trying to write a new chapter for the national team and fulfill the dream of playing in the World Cup for the first time in his career.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.