World Cup Qualifiers: Qatar Reach Tashkent Ahead Of Uzbekistan Tie

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar national football team reached Tashkent yesterday, gearing up to face hosts Uzbekistan tomorrow in their final Group A match of the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:45pm (Doha time) at the 34,000-capacity Bunyodkor Stadium, setting the stage for an exciting clash between two teams eager to finish strong.

Uzbekistan, having secured their first-ever World Cup qualification by joining Iran as the group's top two teams, will be looking to consolidate their FIFA ranking with another strong performance.

Meanwhile, two-time reigning Asian champions Qatar – already assured of a place in the fourth round of the Qualifiers – are determined to finish third in the group and head into the next stage with added momentum.

Currently in fourth place with 13 points, Al Annabi trail third-placed United Arab Emirates by just one point. The UAE will face Kyrgyzstan in a parallel fixture. Iran lead Group A with 20 points, followed by Uzbekistan on 18.

Qatar come into this match with renewed confidence after a 1-0 victory over group leaders Iran last Thursday – a perfect Qatar debut for head coach Julen Lopetegui.

“The victory is a motivation for what's coming. We have another match ahead of us, and we must also focus because it will be an important building block for what's to come,” Lopetegui said following the win.

Pedro Miguel, who netted the winner against Iran, echoed his coach's sentiments, saying the team is fully focused on securing another win before entering the next stage.

Ahead of the Uzbekistan game, Lopetegui has added Mohammed Ayash and Nabil Arfan to the squad, bolstering options for what is expected to be a competitive match.

According to the format, the third- and fourth-placed teams from the third round will move into two groups of three in the fourth round, playing round-robin matches at a centralised venue.

Group winners will earn direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while runners-up will progress to the fifth round.

The draw for the fourth round will take place on July 17, with matches scheduled for October.

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