Qatar defender Abdullah Youssef (right) vies for the ball with Uzbekistan’s Abbosbek Fayzullaev.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s national football team has pledged to come back stronger in the play-offs after their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers third round campaign ended with a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Uzbekistan.
Despite the loss, the reigning two-time Asian champions advanced to the fourth round of Asian qualifiers alongside the United Arab Emirates. Iran and Uzbekistan earned direct qualification to the World Cup from Group A.
Julen Lopetegui’s side was outplayed in Tashkent on Tuesday, with goals from Azizbek Turgunboev in the first half and Eldor Shomurodov and Igor Sergeyev in the closing stages sealing a dominant victory for the hosts.
Qatar struggled to make an impact, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
Goalkeeper Salah Zakaria, who replaced Meshaal Barsham and made several key saves, was hopeful of team’s turnaround.
“We tried to get back into the game, but small details cost us – conceding two late goals in just five minutes. We promise the fans we’ll learn from this experience. There are still points to be earned, and we’re hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup,” Zakaria told Alkass Television.
Qatar goalkeeper Salah Zakaria during match against Uzbekistan.
The third- and fourth-placed teams from each of the three groups in this round will now compete in two new groups during the fourth round.
The winners of each group will book their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the runners-up will progress to a fifth round.
The draw for the fourth round will take place on July 17, with matches taking place in October.
“We’ll be playing a crucial stage in October, and preparation has already started. The season has ended, so we’ll take some time off and come back even stronger. The next round is pivotal 0- we have no choice but to win and qualify,” said midfielder Assim Madibo.
On the Uzbekistan loss, Madibo added: “It was a tough match, and we didn’t perform to expectations, but it was good to see some new faces in the starting lineup.”
Defender Abdullah Youssef, who saved a goal against Uzbekistan, echoed similar sentiments.
“This wasn’t the result we wanted as we were hoping for better. But we promise the upcoming matches will be different. We’ve got the play-offs ahead, and we’ll do everything to secure World Cup qualification.”
