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Лидер сборной Узбекистана оценил шансы команды выйти на ЧМ-2026

Uzbekistan national team captain assesses team's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

Captain believes team has the potential to qualify for the first time

Uzbekistan has never qualified for a World Cup

Uzbekistan national team captain Odil Ahmedov believes the team has the potential to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The central midfielder, who plays his club football for Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG, has been capped 102 times by his country and has scored 19 goals.

In an interview with the Uzbek Football Federation website, Ahmedov said: “I believe that we have a very good team with a lot of potential. We have a good mix of experienced players and young players. I think that if we can continue to work hard and improve, we can qualify for the World Cup for the first time.”

Uzbekistan has never qualified for a World Cup, but they have come close on several occasions. They reached the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup, but they lost to Syria. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2011 Asian Cup. Uzbekistan is currently ranked 84th in the FIFA World Rankings.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be expanded to 48 teams, which means that Uzbekistan will have a better chance of qualifying. The tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Uzbekistan will begin their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup in 2023. They will be aiming to finish in the top two in their group in order to qualify for the third round of qualifying.

If Uzbekistan can qualify for the 2026 World Cup, it would be a major achievement for the country. It would also be a major boost for football in Uzbekistan, which is a growing sport in the country.