Uzbekistan to face Netherlands in New York friendly ahead of World Cup

According to the Uzbekistan Football Association, the encounter is scheduled for June 8 and will take place at Icahn Stadium in New York.

This fixture follows a previously announced friendly against World Cup co-host Canada. The match against the Dutch side, currently ranked 7th in the FIFA World Rankings, will serve as the final warm-up for the "White Wolves" before they embark on their historic tournament debut. Uzbekistan currently holds the 50th position globally and ranks 5th within the Asian Football Confederation.

The match at Icahn Stadium is set to be played behind closed doors, with kick-off scheduled for 23:45 Tashkent time.

Uzbekistan is preparing for its first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The national team has been drawn into Group K, where they will compete against Colombia, Portugal, and the DR Congo.

Under the expanded tournament format, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, will advance to the round of 32.

FIFA has also confirmed the financial distribution for teams participating in the 2026 World Cup. The total prize pool for the tournament is set at $727 million. As a participant, Uzbekistan is guaranteed to receive a minimum of $10.5 million, consistent with the payments allocated to other competing nations.