Uzbekistan’s road to 2026 World Cup: Can they make history?

In the 8th round of the 3rd stage of the World Cup qualifiers, Uzbekistan faced Iran in Tehran. The home team started actively, but Uzbekistan soon took the lead.

In the 16th minute, Hojimat Erkinov scored after a pass from Farrukh Sayfiyev. Iran then increased their attacks, but Uzbekistan’s defenders held firm. In the second half, the hosts pressed again, and after a defensive mistake, Taremi scored to equalize. Less than a minute later, a free kick was awarded to Uzbekistan. Abbosbek Fayzullayev’s cross from 35 meters went straight into the net. In the 83rd minute, Taremi scored again, leveling the match.

After the eighth round of the third stage, the We Global Football portal assessed the chances of national teams qualifying for the tournament in the Americas. According to their analysis, Uzbekistan's chances of directly qualifying from Group A stand at 96 percent. After the match against Kyrgyzstan, this figure was 92.6 percent, but following a crucial point earned in Tehran, the probability increased by almost 4 percent. Now, Temur Kapadze's team needs just one more point to secure their spot in the World Cup. Uzbekistan will face the United Arab Emirates away on June 5. If the match ends in a draw, the “White Wolves” will qualify ahead of schedule. If Uzbekistan loses, everything will be decided in their final match against Qatar in Tashkent on June 10. Iran has already secured its place in the tournament with 20 points, while Uzbekistan sits second with 17 points. The UAE, their closest competitor, has 13 points. Qatar, after losing 1-3 to Kyrgyzstan, missed out on a direct qualification spot. So far, two Asian teams—Japan and Iran—have officially secured their places in the 2026 World Cup.