Uzbekistan narrowly defeats UAE in World Cup qualifier

In the 4th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Uzbekistan's national team faced off against the United Arab Emirates. Uzbekistan entered the match as group leaders with 7 points but struggled to find the back of the net during the first half, despite creating several chances. The UAE team also had their opportunities but failed to convert them.

The second half saw a surge of aggressive attacks from the Uzbek players. During one of these attacks in the 65th minute, Salman Abdulla Hamad committed a rough foul against Jaloliddin Masharipov, earning a red card and leaving the UAE team with ten men. The breakthrough for Uzbekistan came in the 76th minute when Otabek Shukurov successfully converted a penalty, awarded after Bobur Abdukholikov was fouled. With this goal, the home team secured the lead. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle, marking Uzbekistan's first-ever home victory over the UAE team.

Following this match, Uzbekistan now tops the group with 10 points, solidifying their position as group leaders.