Quarterfinal bracket: Group stage of the Asian Games ends with a "bang"

The group stage matches of the football tournament at the 20th Summer Asian Games taking place on the green fields of Japan have come to an end with unexpected dramas and major sensations. In particular, the 3rd-round matches on September 23 caused a real earthquake in continental football: in Group B, the Iranian national team, considered one of the tournament favorites, suffered a shameful 1:4 defeat against the representatives of DPRK (North Korea), missed out on a playoff spot, and will return home. Meanwhile, China drew 0:0 with the UAE, gathered 5 points, and advanced to the quarterfinals as the group winner.

Additionally, in Group A, tournament host Japan scored 3 unanswered goals against Thailand (3:0), taking 1st place with a 100% record of 9 points; neighboring Kyrgyzstan crushed Hong Kong 4:0, bidding a fine farewell to the Asian Games. Most importantly, all the quarterfinal pairings and the match schedule have been fully formed. On September 25 at 10:00 AM, the Uzbekistan Olympic national team will enter an uncompromising and decisive battle for a semifinal ticket against another continental giant, Saudi Arabia.

So, how far will this sensational run of North Korea go, how will Uzbekistan overcome the Saudi Arabia barrier, and who are considered the favorites in the bracket leading to the medals?

"DPRK's sensation, Iran's fiasco, and Uzbekistan's match": 5 main points of the 3rd round

The most important facts from the decisive stage of the Asian Games group stage:

• Iran's unexpected defeat: The DPRK team crushed Iran 4:1, leaving one of the tournament favorites without the playoffs;

• Uzbekistan's opponent is set: Our Olympic team will line up against Saudi Arabia for a semifinal berth on September 25 at 10:00 AM;

• Japan's flawless run: The tournament hosts defeated Thailand 3:0 to become the absolute group leader with 9 points;

• 1st place from China: A 0:0 draw against the UAE allowed the Chinese to win Group B and clash with Thailand;

• Kyrgyzstan's winning note: The players of the neighboring republic concluded their participation in the tournament with a crushing 4:0 victory over Hong Kong.

Asian Games 2026: 3rd round results and full quarterfinal bracket

The last matches of the group stage and the upcoming 1/4 final schedule:

Football expertise and tactical analysis: How will Uzbekistan break through the Saudi barrier?

Conclusions of Asian football experts and analysts:

• The Saudi Arabia factor and fierce competition: The Saudis are always a technically and tactically well-organized team that finishes situations with composure; against them in the 10:00 AM match, our players will need a high level of concentration and active pressing from the very first minutes;

• DPRK's terrifying sensation: North Korea scoring 4 goals against the net of a physically resilient team like Iran showed how high this team's pace and discipline are; in the quarterfinals, they will certainly cause a serious headache for Japan;

• Uzbekistan's open path towards medals: Iran's elimination and the formation of the tournament bracket is a historic opportunity for our team; if the Saudi barrier is overcome, the semifinals and the Asian Games championship cup are close ahead;

• Short recovery time: Teams were given very little rest time in the transition from the group stage to the playoffs; at such a stage, the depth of the bench and the coaching staff's rotation decisions play a decisive role.

The Uzbekistan Olympic national team is preparing to prove once again the leadership potential of Uzbek football on the continent in the match against Saudi Arabia on September 25.

In your opinion, by what score will the Uzbekistan national team defeat Saudi Arabia on September 25 and advance to the semifinals? Do you consider DPRK's 4:1 victory over Iran to be a fluke or the emergence of a new force? Leave your personal guesses and opinions in the comments and share this article dedicated to our national team's playoff run with all football enthusiasts!