Iraqis welcome UAE national team with banners saying 'You have lit up the world'

In southern Iraq, the cities and main streets of Basra Governorate had banners welcoming the Emirati national team.

The Emirati team will play against their host nation, the "Lions of Mesopotamia", in a decisive match. This match will be held at the "Basra International" stadium on Tuesday. The winner of this match will be the last team from Asia to play in the World Cup qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.

Large banners have been put up all over most of Basra Governorate to welcome the UAE national team to the city. One banner says, "Iraq welcomes the UAE... Your presence has made the world a better place."

The people of Basra are looking forward to the arrival of the Emirati team so they can show them the traditional Arab hospitality that Basra has been known over centuries. Everyone still remembers what happened at the 25th Gulf Cup in Basra in 2023.

Even though the match was important for both teams, the two Iraqi and Emirati peoples are still close, like brothers. This is because of the great behaviour of the Emirati fans. They gave the Iraqi team, nickname the "Lions of Mesopotamia", a very warm welcome at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi last Thursday.

This was the first match between the two teams, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The whole Emirati audience stood up when the Iraqi national anthem was played.

The Iraqi fans who came to the last match were treated with great respect, which the general Iraqi public really admired. So, the huge and noticeable preparations in Basra to welcome the Emirati "White" team are a way of paying back what they owe and showing their appreciation. The party who takes the first step is always the one who gets the reward.