After 4 matches in Group A, Uzbekistan is in 2nd place with 10 points. They have the same number of points as Iran, but are behind because of a lower goal difference.
In the latest match, the Central Asian team defeated the UAE team 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 have a great chance of participating in this playground for the first time in 2026, with extremely impressive form and a talented squad of players who are reaching their peak.
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 penalty shootouts were counted as draws by FIFA).
Uzbekistan's maturity is evident in the fact that they play very well against the strongest teams in the continent. They have drawn with Iran three times in the past year, and shared points with Australia. At the same time, Katanec's team also knows how to defeat opponents of equal or lower level.
UAE coach Paulo Bento highly appreciated Uzbekistan's strength. After the loss on October 15, he shared: "Uzbekistan is trying to go straight to the World Cup and they currently have 10 points. They performed well against strong teams like Iran and Qatar. We have to respect Uzbekistan's strength and focus on the remaining matches in the World Cup qualifiers."
Valery Kechinov, a former player who played 6 times for Russia, 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 to participate in the World Cup. But this team has a number of high-level players. They play in the Italian and French championships. Besides, there is also Abbasbek Fayzullaev, who plays for CSKA.
They have a talented and developing generation of young players. If they continue to play successfully and have luck, Uzbekistan will have a great chance of qualifying for the World Cup."
The Uzbekistan team has a good combination of many generations of players, including outstanding 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 ahead of the chasing teams. With their stability and certainty, they have many opportunities to maintain their position, thereby getting a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
