Uzbekistan qualify for first World Cup - and who else is through?

"Uzbekistan have qualified for their first World Cup after drawing with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. They become the eighth team to secure their place at the expanded 48-team tournament in United States, Canada and Mexico in 2025. The three hosts have qualified automatically, while Uzbekistan join Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina to have earned their spot. They could be joined later on Thursday by Jordan, also bidding to qualify for the first time, and South Korea."

"The closest Uzbekistan came previously to qualifying was during a controversial campaign in 2006, when they were in a two-legged playoff against Bahrain to determine who would be the Asian Football Confederation's representative to face Concacaf's Trinidad and Tobago. The winner of that match would then qualify for the finals in Germany. Uzbekistan won the first leg 1-0, but a refereeing error led to Fifa ordering the match be played again, and they ultimately lost out on away goals."

Uzbekistan secured their first-ever World Cup qualification after drawing with the United Arab Emirates, becoming the eighth team confirmed for the expanded 48-team 2025 tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The three hosts qualified automatically, while Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina have also earned places; Jordan and South Korea could join later. Ranked 57th with a population of 36 million, Uzbekistan played as a sovereign nation from 1992 and joined FIFA in 1994. A notable near miss occurred in 2006 after a replay was ordered following a refereeing error. Uzbekistan have reached every Asian Cup finals since 1996 and advanced to the knockout phase consistently, reaching the 2011 semi-finals and last year’s quarter-finals. CONMEBOL qualifying involves all 10 teams, with the top six qualifying directly and seventh entering an intercontinental play-off.

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