Historic Day For Uzbekistan: FIFA World Cup Qualification – OpEd
Uzbekistan qualified for the men’s World Cup for the first time.
Uzbekistan secured qualification after a 0-0 draw against the UAE on May 5. That result left second-placed Uzbekistan an insurmountable four points ahead of the UAE and sealed their place in the 2026 World Cup, becoming the fifth nation to qualify, in addition to the three host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Uzbekistan has also become the first Central Asian nation to ever qualify for the men’s World Cup.
In recent years, football has developed in Uzbekistan, along with other sports. Uzbekistan centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov joined Manchester City in January, while national team captain and striker Eldor Shomurodov plays for Roma.
It is being claimed that achievements in sport show that anti-corruption reforms have paid off. For many years, many industries, including football, were stuck in the chains of corruption. However, after new reforms and special attention from the president of Uzbekistan, corruption cases are decreasing, giving talented youth the chance to demonstrate their talent.
