The draw placed Uzbekistan in Group E, where the young white wolves will face strong international competition from Italy, Côte d’Ivoire, and Jamaica.
The tournament will be hosted by Qatar from November 19–December 13, 2026. For the first time, the competition will feature an expanded format with 48 national teams divided into 12 groups, raising the stakes for the youth teams aiming to advance to the knockout stages.
Uzbekistan secured its spot on the global stage after an impressive run at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia. Head coach Sergey Chigodayev guided his squad to the semifinals of the continental tournament, earning Uzbekistan an automatic qualification berth for the world championship.
