Uzbekistan qualified for its debut soccer World Cup on Thursday night, becoming the first ever Central Asian country to make it to the sport’s global showpiece.

Both Uzbekistan and Jordan have qualified for the men’s World Cup for the first time. Uzbekistan sealed qualification with one match remaining in Group A of the third round of qualification in Asia, after a 0-0 draw against UAE on Thursday.

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar national football team reached Tashkent yesterday, gearing up to face hosts Uzbekistan tomorrow in their final Group A match of the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers.