Mohammad Abdullah, a veteran journalist who covers major international sporting events including the FIFA World Cup, Cricket World Cup, and Formula One, reports that the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) has officially appointed Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic as the new head coach of the national team.
The announcement was made on Wednesday via the social media platform X. The UAEFA statement read: “Welcome, Zlatko Dalic. The UAE Football Association is pleased to announce the appointment of the Croatian as the new Head Coach of the UAE National Team.”
Dalic arrives in the Emirates following his departure from the Croatian national side. His tenure concluded after their campaign in the most recent World Cup ended in the round of 32 following a 2-1 defeat by Portugal. During his impressive nine-year stint in charge of Croatia, Dalic guided the team to the 2018 World Cup final, a third-place finish in 2022, and the 2023 Nations League final.
This appointment marks a return to the region for Dalic, who previously managed Al Ain in the UAE Pro League, where he successfully led the club to a league title. He now takes over a program looking to move past recent heartbreak, as the UAE failed to qualify for both the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups after coming agonizingly close on both occasions.
The road to the 2026 finals was particularly difficult. The top two teams from each of the three Asian groups qualified automatically, and the UAE were on the verge of qualification, needing just a draw against neighbors Qatar to secure their spot. After finishing third in their group behind Iran and Uzbekistan, the UAE moved into the fourth round of Asian qualifiers.
In October 2025, the UAE beat Oman 2–1 but suffered a narrow 2–1 defeat to Qatar. That result handed Qatar the direct group qualification spot and pushed the UAE into the fifth and final Asian playoff round. In that final hurdle, the UAE drew 1–1 in the first leg against Iraq before losing the second leg 2–1 in an away match, which ended their hopes of reaching the tournament.
Dalic replaces Cosmin Olaroiu, who was dismissed after failing to salvage the nation’s qualification campaign. Olaroiu had taken over from Paulo Bento midway through the cycle. The UAE had controversially sacked the Portuguese manager Bento the morning after his team kept their hopes of direct qualification alive.
Bento, who previously guided Portugal to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and South Korea to the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, had led the Emirates to 14 wins, six draws, and six losses since taking the helm in July 2023. Dalic’s primary mandate is now to guide the UAE to the 2030 World Cup, while preparing the squad for Group E of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they will face South Korea, Vietnam, and Yemen.
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