Uzbekistan qualify for first ever World Cup with UAE draw

Uzbekistan will be playing in the 2026 World Cup, the first in the country's history, following their goalless draw with United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Uzbekistan needed to avoid defeat against the UAE in their penultimate game to secure qualification for next year’s World Cup, and that’s exactly what they did.

Tense at times but ultimately rewarding, their 0-0 draw away at the Al Nahyan Stadium means they’ll be playing in football’s biggest tournament.

Ranked 57th by FIFA, it’s a huge achievement for the Central Asian country as they finished second behind favourite Iran in their qualifying group.

There will be 47 countries playing in the 2026 World Cup, the most in the competitions history, so there will likely be a few more debutants.