7 months ago
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ESPN News Services
Jun 5, 2025, 02:19 PM ET
Uzbekistan qualified for the men's World Cup finals for the archetypal clip astatine the eighth effort aft a 0-0 gully with the United Arab Emirates successful Abu Dhabi connected Thursday, portion Australia and Jordan moved to the verge of booking berths successful North America.
Goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov made a trio of second-half saves to guarantee Uzbekistan their archetypal World Cup qualification since the state gained independency from the Soviet Union successful 1991.
Uzbekistan articulation Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina arsenic the 4th squad to person qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico automatically qualified for the competition.
The gully means the UAE volition present advancement to the 4th circular of qualifying arsenic the constituent earned guarantees a third- oregon fourth-placed decorativeness successful Group A.
Goals from Musab Al-Juwayr and Abdulrahman Al-Obud earned Saudi Arabia a triumph that enactment Australia's celebrations connected clasp until the 2 nations conscionable successful Jeddah connected Tuesday.
But Australia's vastly superior extremity quality means they tin suffer that gathering with Saudi Arabia by up to 4 goals and inactive beforehand to a sixth consecutive World Cup finals arsenic second-placed finishers down Japan.
Jordan besides moved to the cusp of qualification arsenic Ali Olwan's chapeau instrumentality delivered a 3-0 triumph implicit Oman successful Muscat to permission Jamal Sellami's broadside waiting for the effect from South Korea's clash with Iraq successful Basra aboriginal connected Thursday successful Group B.
Indonesia guaranteed their engagement successful the World Cup preliminaries would proceed into the 4th circular arsenic a 1-0 triumph implicit China besides ended the qualification hopes of Branko Ivankovic's side.
Ole Romeny's 45th infinitesimal punishment separated the sides successful Jakarta to guarantee Indonesia would decorativeness successful either 3rd oregon 4th spot successful Group C, thereby progressing to the adjacent phase, which volition beryllium played successful October.
Information from Reuters was utilized successful this report.
