According to reports, the UAE Football Federation is set to officially announce the appointment of Ricardo Sá Pinto, the Portuguese coach, to lead the senior national team. This decision follows the dismissal of the previous coach, Paulo Bento, due to poor results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The source added that the official announcement of the contract is very close and may take place within the next few hours, especially given the UAE Football Federation’s desire to save time and prepare the national team for two crucial matches against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, scheduled for June 5 and 10.

Currently, the UAE national team sits in third place in Group 1 with 13 points, behind Uzbekistan (17 points) and Iran (20 points), who have already secured their place in the next round. If they fail to qualify directly, the UAE team still has a chance to compete in the continental playoffs for a spot in the final tournament.