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The Uzbek squad is Central Asia’s first to qualify for the World Cup finals [1]
['Irakli Machaidze']
Date: 2025-06
They are chokers no more.
For decades, the Uzbek men’s national football squad had come up small in big moments. But the team has finally broken through, even though it took a goalless draw to do it. After numerous near-misses, Uzbekistan has qualified for the World Cup finals to be held in North America in 2026, becoming the first national team from a Central Asian state to make it that far.
The players received a hero’s welcome when they returned to Tashkent on June 6, met on the tarmac by the country’s prime minister. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave not only the players, but all those involved the team – coaches, trainers, doctors, translators and even the team photographer – state awards.
For Mirziyoyev, the team’s accomplishment meant much more than on-the-field success; it’s clear he’s looking for political dividends from Uzbekistan’s finals’ qualification, hoping it will help galvanize the nation behind his administration’s efforts to transform the country from an exporter of raw materials and labor migrants into a modern, manufacturing economy.
In handing out state honors to the team, Mirziyoyev expressed hope that the “great victory” will serve “the cause of increasing the glory of New Uzbekistan on a global scale” and educate “the younger generation in the spirit of love for the Motherland.”
In a separate, congratulatory statement, in which he addressed the national team’s players as “my dear sons,” the Uzbek president linked football success to his economic reform goals.
“I am confident that this historic victory will further unite our people on the path to noble aims, will become a source of inspiration and an example for thousands of our young people, will serve to further strengthen the international authority of New Uzbekistan,” the presidential statement says.
The match June 5 that saw Uzbekistan qualify for the World Cup was nothing to write home about – a 0-0 tie against the United Arab Emirates, played in Abu Dhabi. The point the Uzbek squad received from that lackluster result, however, was enough to clinch second place in its group in the Asian regionals, earning a trip to North America next year.
Uzbekistan joins Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and New Zealand as teams that have already earned a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals. Argentina as the defending World Cup champion, along with Canada, Mexico and United States as the host nations, have automatically qualified. The 2026 finals will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from 32 teams that competed in 2022 finals staged in Qatar.
Uzbekistan’s quest to qualify over the past two decades has been filled with heartbreak for fans. During a pivotal playoff against Bahrain in 2006, a referee’s controversial decision robbed the Uzbek squad of momentum, and the team ended up losing a golden opportunity to qualify. In 2014, Uzbekistan lost a spot in the finals to South Korea on the slimmest of goal differentials – a single score. Four years later, Uzbekistan could have qualified for the finals in Russia with a victory in a group match against South Korea, but that game ended in a draw.
All of the agony is now forgotten; the Uzbek team has finally come through in the clutch. “The entire multinational people of Uzbekistan are rightfully proud of you,” stated Mirziyoyev.
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[1] Url:
https://eurasianet.org/the-uzbek-squad-is-central-asias-first-to-qualify-for-the-world-cup-finals
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