Overview

• Qatar beat the UAE 2-1 in Doha with goals from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel before Sultan Adel pulled one back deep into stoppage time, and Tarek Salman was sent off for Qatar after a VAR review.
• The Asian Football Confederation set UAE–Iraq playoff legs for November 13 and 18, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental path; Qatar’s qualification is confirmed as the tally of Arab teams at the 2026 World Cup rises to seven.
• Emirati social media shifted from pre-match #حلم_وطن optimism to frustration, with criticism of goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, as coach Olaroiu Cosmin said his side controlled play, called football “sometimes unfair,” and questioned stoppage time and scheduling parity.
• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Sharm El Sheikh arrangements are not a final solution, revealed signing a four-party document with President Donald Trump, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi and Qatar’s emir, and detailed large Turkish aid with readiness to support reconstruction.
• Analysts say phase two in Gaza faces concrete hurdles including a weapons handover under Palestinian and Arab supervision with possible international monitors, training new security forces, reports of Hamas reprisals against alleged collaborators, and aid flows constrained at crossings.