🇺🇿 Central Asian heroes: Uzbekistan reach their first World Cup | OneFootball

They only needed one point in their visit to Abu Dhabi, and the White Wolves did not disappoint on this occasion. The Uzbekistan team secured a draw against the United Arab Emirates and confirmed their qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 for the first time in their history. A milestone for the Central Asian republic that will see its country among the 48 best teams on the planet.

Timur Kapadze's men were able to withstand the onslaught of an Emirati team that tried to exhaust their options to qualify for the World Cup in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. And the final whistle marked a total explosion of joy both on the pitch of the Al Nahyan stadium in Abu Dhabi, as well as on the streets of a Tashkent that came to a standstill to watch their team.

More than three decades seeking glory

Following the dissolution of the USSR, Uzbek football could not see its national team take part in a World Cup qualification until 1997. The qualifiers for France 98 were the first step on a World Cup journey full of disappointments for Uzbekistan... until these qualifiers.

Under the command of Slatko Katanec first and Timur Kapadze later, the White Wolves became one of the most solid teams on the Asian continent. As proof, their record in these World Cup qualifiers: out of 14 matches played, Uzbekistan has only lost one. The rest, nine wins and four draws.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 - - AFP or licensors