Iran qualifies for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Iran has secured a place for itself in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year. The tournament will feature 48 teams, with various continental qualifying rounds are currently underway.

On Tuesday, Iran played against Uzbekistan in a crucial AFC World Cup Qualifier at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, which was enough for Iran to book its ticket to the World Cup.

Iran needed just a draw against Uzbekistan to qualify, and despite trailing for most of the game, they managed to secure the crucial point. At one stage, Uzbekistan was leading 2-1 until the 83rd minute, when Mehdi Taremi scored a remarkable goal to level the match.

The match saw early action as Uzbekistan took the lead in the 16th minute through Khojimat Erkinov. In the second half, Iran equaled the score with a goal from Mehdi Taremi, but Uzbekistan quickly responded, with Abbosbek Fayzullaev scoring to regain the advantage. However, in the 83rd minute, Taremi struck again to secure the draw for Iran.

With this result, Iran earned the necessary points to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. This marks Iran’s fourth consecutive and seventh overall appearance at the prestigious tournament.

In the third round of the AFC qualifiers, 18 teams have been divided into three groups, with the top two teams from each group securing direct qualification for the World Cup.

Japan and New Zealand have already qualified, while host nations USA, Canada, and Mexico had automatic berths in the tournament.