Uzbekistan U-23 national team qualifies for 2026 Asian Cup

Uzbekistan’s U-23 national team finished second in Group E of the Asian Cup qualifiers, earning the right to participate in the 2026 U-23 Asian Cup. The tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to 25, 2026.

In recent years, the youth team has become one of the strongest contenders in the region. During the 2022 championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan reached the final on home soil but was defeated by Saudi Arabia. The 2024 tournament in Qatar was historically significant, as the Uzbek youth team qualified for the Olympics for the first time, although they lost 0:1 to Japan in the final, securing their second consecutive runner-up finish.

One of the brightest moments in Uzbekistan’s U-23 history came in 2018 when the team defeated Vietnam at the championship in China, earning the country’s first-ever U-23 Asian Championship title.

It is worth noting that the 2026 championship in Saudi Arabia will not serve as an Olympic qualifying tournament. This edition will focus solely on competing for one of the continent’s most prestigious trophies.