The UAE national football team has been classified as a third seed for the upcoming 2025 Arab Cup, with the draw ceremony scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, at 9 PM UAE time.

Qatar, the host nation, will lead Group A, while the reigning champions, Algeria, will head Group D.

Joining the UAE in the third seed are teams that triumphed in the preliminary qualification round, which includes matches between Oman and Somalia, Bahrain and Djibouti, and Syria and South Sudan.

The fourth seed will consist of other teams winning their respective qualification matches, with Palestine facing Libya, Lebanon against Sudan, Kuwait versus Mauritania, and Yemen playing the Comoros.

Within the first seed, teams include Qatar, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt, while the second seed comprises Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan.

The tournament, which boasts a total prize pool exceeding $36.5 million, will be held under the auspices of FIFA, marking the second consecutive time the tournament has been organized by the global football governing body, after previously being managed by the Arab Football Association.

Qatar will host the tournament from December 1 to 18, 2025, making this the third time it has been the venue since hosting editions in 1998 and 2021, featuring a total of 16 Arab teams.

The UAE national team will directly partake in the group stage of the tournament, alongside other teams ranked in the first and second seeds, based on FIFA rankings.

Additionally, seven other teams will secure qualifications through playoffs scheduled for November 25 and 26, 2025, with 14 teams competing in a single-match format in Doha.

Before the Arab Cup, the UAE national team is set to commence a training camp in Dubai, beginning on June 7, under the guidance of new head coach Olaroiu Cosmin.

This camp aims to prepare the team for upcoming matches against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on June 5 and 10, respectively, as part of the final two rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Cosmin, who recently signed a two-year contract with the UAE Football Association in April, will oversee his first training session with the team following his tenure at Sharjah FC, culminating in a match against Al-Wasl in the final round of the ADNOC Pro League.

The UAE national team holds a chance for direct qualification from the first group of the qualifiers for the World Cup, contingent upon winning against both Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan while Uzbekistan loses to Qatar in the final round.

Currently, the UAE occupies third place in its group with 13 points, having already secured a spot in the Asian qualifying playoffs.

Iran currently leads the group with 20 points and has officially confirmed its direct qualification for the World Cup.

Uzbekistan is positioned second with 17 points, while the UAE stands third with 13 points.

Kyrgyzstan follows in fourth with 10 points, and North Korea, with 2 points, has been eliminated from the World Cup qualification contention.