Uzbek fans heading to UAE match advised to postpone travel

On June 5, Uzbekistan’s national football team will face the United Arab Emirates in a decisive 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Abu Dhabi. In anticipation of the match, a large-scale effort is underway to organize the travel of up to 5,000 Uzbek fans to the UAE in cooperation with local fan clubs.

Against this backdrop, the Tashkent City Tourism Department has issued a recommendation to tourism companies in the capital, advising them to refrain from organizing tour packages to the UAE during this period.

The concern arises from the limited seating capacity of the UAE national team’s home stadium, Al Nahyan Stadium (also known as “Al Wahda”), which holds only 12,000 spectators. In accordance with Asian Football Confederation regulations, only 8% of that capacity—roughly 960 seats—is allocated to visiting team supporters.

Despite this, sports bloggers and fan clubs in Uzbekistan have launched major promotional campaigns on social media to rally support and organize the travel of thousands of fans to Abu Dhabi. This raises concerns about overcrowding, stadium access issues, and potential security risks.

Authorities have warned that the influx of unregistered or excess fans could lead to complications at UAE airports, including the possibility of Uzbek citizens being denied entry or deported.

It is worth noting that tickets for the section allocated to Uzbek supporters at Al Nahyan Stadium have already sold out. Additionally, tickets for the June 10 World Cup qualifier between Uzbekistan and Qatar at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent will only be available through offline sales.