The UAE national football team lost 2-0 to Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf Cup final, held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. Around 63,000 fans attended the match, including roughly 12,000 UAE supporters. Saudi Arabia's goals came from Hammam Al Hammami and Feras Albrikan.
The win handed Saudi Arabia its first Gulf Cup title in 25 years, and the team completed the tournament without conceding a single goal. UAE's new head coach, Zlatko Dalic, said after the match: "The first goal and second goal killed us. I told my players the first 20 minutes would be key to the game."
Following the early setbacks, Dalic made tactical adjustments to his defensive line in an attempt to limit further damage. The match also saw several naturalised players make their UAE debuts, including Yuri Cesar, Mamadou Coulibaly, Ousmane Camara and Guilherme Bala.
Despite the defeat, observers note the UAE squad has built a solid foundation heading into its next major test: the Asian Cup, which kicks off in January 2027, also hosted by Saudi Arabia. The UAE will open its campaign against Palestine on January 7.