Rory McIlroy will need a strong finish to the DP World Tour season to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai this Sunday.McIlroy has won an incredible seven Order of Merit titles on the European Tour, including winning it in each of the last four seasons.McIlroy is eyeing more glory on the DP World TourGettyHe has been the dominant force on the DP World Tour for years and is now looking to match Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Harry Vardon Trophies.McIlroy is second in the standings following the Abu Dhabi Championship and has work to do in the 2026 finale at the DP World Tour Championship this week.Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra leads the way in the Race to Dubai while Patrick Reed, Aaron Rai, Casey Jarvis and Jon Rahm are in the mix too.McIlroy has enjoyed another strong week in Dubai but so has Chacarra and we are set for thrilling end to the year.What does McIlroy need to win Race to Dubai?The final tournament of the year at Jumeirah Golf Estates offers plenty of points this week so there are a host of permutations for McIlroy.McIlroy came third at the Abu Dhabi Championship, winning 565 points to cut Chacarra’s lead to 534 points.Rahm took the full 1,500 points with his victory at Yas Links to propel himself right into contention for the Race to Dubai title too.The DP World Tour Championship this week will award 2,000 to the winner, 1,335 for solo second and the top five all claim over 500 points.Given the points on offer, McIlroy has some breathing room and does not need to win in Dubai but he will need to outperform Chacarra and hope the other contenders slip up.He will know a victory in Dubai will secure him top spot regardless of where Chacarra or anyone else finishes.Chacarra is hoping to upset McIlroy and claim the Order of MeritGettyFinishing second would also be enough as long as Chacarra finishes third or lower and Reed, who is well out of contention, does not win.Should McIlroy finish third outright, he will need Chacarra to come 12th or lower, Reed to be third or lower and need none of Rahm, Rai or Jarvis to win.If McIlroy is fourth this week, Jayden Schaper, Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier also come in the picture and if the Grand Slam champion is fifth or lower, he can not win the Race to Dubai.Top ten on Race to Dubai1. Eugenio Chacarra (Spain) – 4,243.792. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) – 3,709.863. Patrick Reed (USA) – 3,528.624. Casey Jarvis (South Africa) – 2,892.985. Aaron Rai (England) – 2,560.156. Jon Rahm (Spain) – 2,525.157. Jayden Schaper (South Africa) – 2,445.798. Ryan Fox (New Zealand) – 2,427.529. Daniel Hillier (New Zealand) – 2,351.2510. Jacob Skov Olesen (Denmark) – 2,111.49What has McIlroy said about the Race to Dubai?McIlroy has been in a confident mood in the Middle East and clearly believes he can perform well enough to get the job done.He said: “It was a week where I had my chances, I just couldn’t keep my momentum going but it was a good week.“I saw some encouraging signs in my game. I’m going to be in that final group going out [at the DP World Tour Championship] on Thursday. “Obviously, I would have loved to have won the tournament, but [there are] enough positive signs to feel good about going into next week. I’m excited for it.”McIlroy has come third at the Abu Dhabi Championship and Dubai Invitation, T7 at the Scottish Open, second at September’s BMW PGA Championship and, of course, won The Masters in April.McIlroy has won back-to-back Masters titlesGettyHe also has not missed a cut all year and those results have put him in contention for the Order of Merit yet again.He said: “It’s always a goal. You just hope you play well in the big tournaments early in the year so you give yourself a chance at this time of the year to win it.“I tried to play well in the Major championships, and basically I have the four Majors and the Scottish Open, which are the big ones that I need to play well in, and Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year as well.“Then once The Open Championship is done, I turn my attention to the Irish Open and Wentworth and things like that. “I sometimes wish I had the opportunity to play a bit more over here in the middle of the season, but just with the way the golf world is, that isn’t quite possible.”