Ravshan Irmatov: "We have been waiting for this historic day for 33 years!"

Ravshan Irmatov, the first vice-president of the Football Association of Uzbekistan, known throughout the world as a legendary referee of our country's football, expressed his thoughts on the first-ever qualification of our national team to the World Cup.

Irmatov described this achievement as an unforgettable and proud event for the nation, written in golden letters in the history of Uzbekistan:

"The entire population of Uzbekistan - almost 37 million people - has been eagerly awaiting this great day for 33 long years. We did not achieve this victory easily. Over the past years, under the leadership of our President, high-level conditions have been created for our national teams of all ages. In response, our youth regularly participate in world championships in various age categories and even earned the right to participate in the Olympic Games. Now our main national team has also achieved this dream and qualified for the World Cup," he said.

Ravshan Irmatov also emphasized that our country's football has undergone a major development in recent years:

"At the initiative of our President, Uzbek football is taking a bold step towards reaching a level where it can compete with the strongest teams in the world. We are all happy with this victory, because this is not only the achievement of our players or coaches, but also of our people. Our journalists also made an invaluable contribution here, their constant support and dedication were very important to us."

Irmatov emphasized that this historical event will serve as a great motivation for the younger generation:

"Our young people, seeing these days, will live with the confidence that they can achieve such results themselves. They now understand that we are also capable of great things. I wish them even greater victories in the future, regardless of the field in which they work," the First Vice-President of the UFA emphasized.

It should be noted that on June 5, in the qualifying match against the UAE, our national team recorded a 0-0 draw away, and for the first time in its history, qualified for the World Cup. With this, Uzbekistan won the right to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.