Uzbekistan to face Iran and Qatar in pivotal World Cup 2026 qualifying round

The draw for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for the Asian continent took place.

Photo: Tribuna.uz

During the ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, opponents of the Uzbekistan national team have been announced.

Group A:
- Iran
- Qatar
- UZBEKISTAN
- UAE
- Kyrgyzstan
- DPRK

Group B:
- South Korea
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Oman
- Palestine
- Kuwait

Group C:
- Japan
- Australia
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain
- China
- Indonesia

The team's games schedule:

2024
- Matchday 1: September 5, Uzbekistan vs. DPRK
- Matchday 2: September 10, Kyrgyzstan vs. Uzbekistan
- Matchday 3: October 10, Uzbekistan vs. Iran
- Matchday 4: October 15, Uzbekistan vs. UAE
- Matchday 5: November 14, Qatar vs. Uzbekistan
- Matchday 6: November 19, DPRK vs. Uzbekistan

2025
- Matchday 7: March 20, Uzbekistan vs. Kyrgyzstan
- Matchday 8: March 25, Iran vs. Uzbekistan
- Matchday 9: June 5, UAE vs. Uzbekistan
- Matchday 10: June 10, Uzbekistan vs. Qatar

It should be noted that the teams that finish in the first two places of each group will receive direct qualifications to the World Cup. The third and fourth-place holders will enter the fourth round of qualifiers. Asia has been allocated 8.5 spots for the World Cup.