Uzbekistan qualifies for FIFA World Cup for the first time
The Uzbekistan national football team has made history, securing its first-ever spot at the FIFA World Cup 2026, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
In the decisive ninth round of the third stage of Asian qualifiers, Timur Kapadze’s team played a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. The result earned Uzbekistan a crucial point, bringing their total to 18 points and guaranteeing at least second place in Group A with one match remaining, thus securing direct qualification to the World Cup.
Iran leads the group with 20 points, followed by Uzbekistan (18), UAE (14), Qatar (10), Kyrgyzstan (6), and North Korea (2). Uzbekistan will complete the qualifying stage with a home game against Qatar on June 10.
Despite injuries to key players during the match, including Oston Urunov and Farrukh Sayfiev, Uzbekistan managed to hold the draw. Goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov played a decisive role, making several crucial saves to preserve the result.
Uzbekistan becomes the eighth team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, joining hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and Argentina. The tournament will take place next summer in North America.
Earlier, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history, defeating Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2024/25 final held on May 31 at Munich’s Allianz Arena.