"I congratulate everyone on qualifying in a match we managed well with the players and the team. Yes, this is the first time the team has qualified through the Qualifiers.

"This is a great thing for us, and we are happy to qualify and participate in the 2026 World Cup," said the Spanish tactician.

Having drawn with Oman in their opener, Qatar had to defeat UAE to advance, resulting in a tight match at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

UAE, who beat Oman 2-1, also had the psychological advantage of having defeated Qatar twice in the previous round but fell to strikes from Boualem Khouki and Pedro Miguel, with Sultan Adil netting a consolation after the hosts were reduced to 10 men.

"The match was extremely difficult. We faced a strong and well-prepared team in the UAE. The first half was evenly matched. We wanted to score, and we achieved what we wanted at the beginning of the second half.

"I thank the players and the fans. Everyone did what was necessary. We overcame a difficult stage and qualified, delighting our fans," said Lopetegui.

While Qatar can look forward to rubbing shoulders with the world's best next summer, UAE will now have to navigate a two-leg playoff against Iraq in November, with the winners to advance to the FIFA Playoff Tournament in March, where an additional two spots will be available.

Head coach Cosmin Olariu did not hide his disappointment, with the Romanian feeling that his side did not maximise their chances.

"This is a disappointing result. We controlled the match and put pressure on our opponents. In the second half, we conceded an early goal.

"Football is sometimes unfair, and we must now enter a new phase and strive to return to the top of our game to secure our chances.

"It's unfortunate that this is where we've come to. We have to fight for our chance, and we have to learn from our mistakes going forward."