After 4 matches in Group A, Uzbekistan is currently in 2nd place with 10 points. They are tied with Iran, but are behind due to a loss in secondary index.
In the latest match, the Central Asian team beat the UAE 1-0 at home, although head coach Srecko Katanec could not directly coach because he was sick.
Among the Asian teams that have never participated in the World Cup, Uzbekistan is the best team. They are on the brink of their first opportunity to play in this playground in 2026, when they are in extremely impressive form, combined with a talented squad of players, reaching maturity.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Uzbekistan team has been unbeaten in 14 consecutive matches, winning 9 matches and drawing 5 matches (matches that had to be decided by a penalty shootout are counted as a draw by FIFA).
The maturity of the Uzbekistan team is clearly shown in the fact that they played very well with the strongest teams in the continent. They have held Iran to a draw three times in nearly a year, sharing points with Australia. At the same time, Katanec's team also knows how to defeat opponents of equal or lower strength.
Coach Paulo Bento of the UAE team highly appreciated the strength of the Uzbekistan team. After the loss on October 15, he shared: Uzbekistan are trying to advance straight to the World Cup and currently they have 10 points. They performed well against strong teams like Iran and Qatar. We have to respect the strength of the Uzbekistan team and focus on the remaining matches in the World Cup qualifiers."
Valery Kechinov - a former player who played for Russia 6 times - believes that Uzbekistan has a great chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup: "It is a bit complicated to talk about the readiness of the Uzbekistan national team for the World Cup. But this team has a number of high-level players. They play in the Italian and French championships. In addition, there is Abbasbek Fayzullaev, who plays for CSKA.
They have a generation of talented and growing young players. If they continue to play successfully and have luck, the Uzbekistan team will have a great chance to participate in the World Cup.
The Uzbek team is having a good combination of many generations of players, including prominent stars such as Shomurodov (AS Roma, Italy), Abbosbek Fayzullaev (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Abdukodir Khusanov (Lille, France) - one of the most potential central defenders in Asian football.
Currently, Uzbekistan is 6 points behind the chasing teams. With their stability and certainty, they have many opportunities to maintain their position, thereby getting a ticket directly to the 2026 World Cup.
