Can Uzbekistan finally defeat Iran after 13 years?

Iran and Uzbekistan have faced each other seven times in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Persian team has won three of these matches, while Uzbekistan has secured just one victory. The remaining three encounters ended in draws. Uzbekistan’s only win came in 2012, when Ulugbek Bakayev scored in the 71st minute, securing the team’s first-ever victory over Iran.

It has now been 13 years since Uzbekistan last defeated Iran. Their most recent meeting was in 2023, when the teams played to a 2-2 draw at Bunyodkor Stadium in the second round of World Cup qualifying. Iran took a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mehdi Taremi. However, Oston Urunov pulled one back early in the second half, and Igor Sergeev equalized in the 83rd minute.

The second leg of that round took place on June 11, 2024, at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, ending in a goalless draw.

According to the draw, Uzbekistan and Iran were once again paired in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifying. Their first meeting in this round was on October 10, 2024, at Bunyodkor Stadium, which also ended in a 0-0 draw. In that match, Iranian player Saleh Hardani was sent off in the 57th minute. However, despite having a numerical advantage, Uzbekistan was unable to break the deadlock.

The second leg of this round will take place today, March 25, at Azadi Stadium in Tehran. A draw will be enough for Iran to secure qualification for the World Cup, while a victory for Uzbekistan would be a major step toward securing its own spot.

According to QALAMPIR.UZ, the expected lineups for the Iran-Uzbekistan match are as follows:

Iran: Beiranvand, Hardani, Kananizadegan, Khalilzadeh, Mohammadi, Alipour, Ghoddos, Jahanbakhsh, Ghaedi, Taremi, Azmoun.

Uzbekistan: Yusupov, Sayfiev, Khusanov, Ashurmatov, Eshmurodov, Alijonov, Hamrobekov, Shukurov, Fayzullaev, Erkinov, Shomurodov.

The match will kick off at 21:00 Tashkent time.