<p>Quasicrystals exhibit an interesting range of physical and chemical properties, such as a low coefficient of friction during sliding against other solids, low surface energy, low thermal conductivity, high hardness, high elastic modulus, and excellent wear resistance, among other attributes. However, quasicrystalline phases are brittle at room temperature, prompting research into composite microstructures that embeded them in ductile matrices like Al-FCC. Such aluminum-based quasicrystalline alloys and composites, due to their exceptional physical properties, show great potential as materials for tribological protection applications. Industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, mining, and automotive rely on components that endure severe conditions, including wear, friction, corrosion, fatigue, fatigue-corrosion, as well as high temperatures. Furthermore, the aerospace and automotive sectors are constantly seeking to reduce the weight of their components, making these materials even more attractive for advanced applications. This review explores the development of processing techniques and the performance of Al-based quasicrystalline alloys, with a particular focus on their application in surface engineering for enhanced tribological behavior. In this context, the main contribution/novelty of the present work is a critical analysis of how the combination of wear test parameters and processing methods influences the tribological performance of Al-based quasicrystalline materials. The review establishes the fundamental concepts of quasicrystalline phases, their properties, applications, and the processing techniques used for their synthesis. Additionally, the review highlights recent advancements in processing, microstructural optimization, and the performance of surfaces incorporating quasicrystalline phases for wear-resistant applications. Finally, it identifies gaps in the current literature and discusses the limitations and challenges that can shape future research directions. The analysis of the most relevant papers published over the last two decades on the dry-sliding wear behavior of Al-based quasicrystals led to the following key considerations: thermal spray process leads to usually high wear rates (~ 10^-4 to 10^-3 mm³/N.m) of the materials being tested, under a large range of normal testing loads (5–20) N, while arc melting and PVD processes were the only that achieved significantly low wear rates (~10^-5 mm³/N.m) but only at normal testing loads up to 5 N. The present study also shows that, when normal testing loads superior to 20 N are applied, only Al-matrix composites reinforced with quasicrystals can withstand the sliding tests with adequate wear resistance.</p>