Ticket trouble: Uzbekistan fans in UAE struggle to attend crucial World Cup qualifier

On June 5, Uzbekistan’s national football team will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a crucial away match as part of the qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Three dedicated fan sectors with a total capacity of 1,200 seats have been allocated for Uzbek fans. However, tickets for these sections are either already sold out or have not yet gone on sale. As a result, many Uzbeks living in the UAE who hold resident ID cards have purchased tickets in other sections — only to later receive cancellation notices by email.

Photo: UFA

The decisive match between Uzbekistan and the UAE will be held on June 5 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, within the third round of the World Cup qualifying tournament.

Currently, Iran leads Group A, having already secured their ticket to the World Cup. For Uzbekistan to guarantee qualification, they must secure at least a draw against the UAE or defeat Qatar in the final match in Tashkent. If they achieve either result, they will qualify for the World Cup regardless of other match outcomes in the group. Conversely, if the UAE fails to beat Uzbekistan at home, they will lose any chance of direct qualification.

Given the stakes, the significance of the UAE–Uzbekistan match has grown considerably. Thousands of Uzbek fans are expected to travel to Abu Dhabi to support their national team at the stadium. However, this has led to complications around ticket availability and access.

What’s the situation?

Tickets for the match in Abu Dhabi went on sale several days ago via the Ticketmaster.ae website. In accordance with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulations, the away team is entitled to 8% of the total stadium capacity. Al Nahyan Stadium holds around 15,000 spectators, and three blocks — 24, 25, and 26 — with a total of 1,200 seats were allocated for Uzbek fans. As of now, tickets for these sectors are either sold out or have yet to be released.

Meanwhile, other sections of the stadium remain largely unsold, with standard ticket prices set at AED 20 (about 70,000 UZS).

However, purchasing a ticket in the home (host) sectors requires a valid UAE resident ID. Many Uzbek citizens residing legally in the UAE, who possess these IDs, have bought tickets in those sections. But several days later, they began receiving emails stating that their tickets had been cancelled and that refunds would be processed within 5 to 10 working days — a development that has sparked widespread dissatisfaction.

What do international regulations say?

According to FIFA regulations, the host nation must allocate between 5% and 10% of the stadium’s capacity to fans of the visiting team. These sections are typically designated as “away sectors” to ensure security. The UAE has technically complied with the minimum ticket quota requirement.

However, restricting ticket sales based on nationality or citizenship — even for legal residents — is not considered standard practice. In most cases, such restrictions are not applied to residents. For instance, during Germany’s home match against Turkey, many Turkish residents and even German citizens of Turkish origin were freely able to purchase tickets in host-designated sectors.

The UAE’s current approach appears inconsistent with international norms and may be viewed as discriminatory. It seems that local officials are more concerned about a potential dominance of visiting supporters in the stands — rather than just the risk of clashes or disturbances.

For reference, here are the remaining Group A fixtures:

June 5: