The next crucial stage on the road to the World Cup has been drawn. The playoff draw ceremony for the 2026 World Cup was held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, reports the-afc.com.
An interesting moment for Uzbek football fans occurred during the draw — the head coach of our national team, Timur Kapadze, conducted the draw together with Shin Man Gil.
As a result of the draw, the six teams that placed third and fourth in the 3rd qualifying round were divided into two groups:
Group "A":
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
Group "B":
- Saudi Arabia
- Iraq
- Indonesia
The tense matches in these groups will now be held in a centralized format from October 8 to 14, 2025. Group "A" matches will take place in Qatar, while Group "B" games will be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Only the winner of each group will directly qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Notably, the second-placed teams in each group will face each other in a two-legged playoff on November 13 and 18 to advance to the FIFA playoff stage. The winner will proceed to the intercontinental qualification round.
As a reminder, Uzbekistan's national team secured their spot in the tournament ahead of time. The 0:0 draw against the UAE on June 5 was enough for early qualification.
The competition in Asia is heating up. The draw results show fairly balanced groupings. Although Qatar and Saudi Arabia will play at home, the opponents are also strong. Iraq and the UAE have plenty of experience, and Indonesia’s spirited performance in the previous round adds more intrigue for fans.
Kapadze's involvement in the draw underscores the growing reputation of Uzbek football in Asia. Though he wasn’t on the pitch, he once again proudly represented our country on the international stage.
The battle now moves to a new phase. The playoff finals are ahead. Which teams will represent our continent at the World Cup? The answer is yet to come. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
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