Srinagar: In a historic moment, Uzbekistan and Jordan have qualified for the FIFA World Cup, first time in the history of the tournament with the two teams joined in the 2026 edition by perennial participants South Korea.
Uzbekistan, one of the fastest-rising national teams in Asia, drew 0-0 with the UAE in Abu Dhabi to take the second automatic spot in Group A, although top place is still in play after already qualified Iran lost 1-0 to Qatar in Doha.
Heading into the third round’s final set of fixtures on Tuesday, Iran sit at the summit, two points ahead of Uzbekistan.
The top two teams in each of the three Asian groups advance directly to the FIFA World Cup 2026, while those finishing third and fourth, the UAE and Qatar, secure those slots in Group A and enter a fourth round of qualifiers.
In Group B, South Korea confirmed their place in an 11th straight World Cup by defeating Iraq 2-0 in Basra.
The victory, sealed by second-half goals from Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu, means South Korea reclaim top spot from Jordan, whose 3-0 victory against Oman earlier on Thursday ultimately proved enough to secure their participation at the expanded 48-team showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.