The Executive Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has approved Uzbekistan as the host country for the AFC U-17 Cup in 2027. This decision was made at the organization's last meeting.
The Executive Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has approved Uzbekistan as the host country for the AFC U-17 Cup in 2027. This decision was made at the organization's last meeting.
Furthermore, the committee confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the AFC U-17 Cup in 2029. Japan was also selected to hold the AFC U-23 Cup in 2028.
This tournament will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Amendments to the rules governing AFC club and youth competitions were approved at the meeting. Starting from the 2026/27 season, the AFC Elite Champions League will be held in a new format involving 32 teams. These changes will also affect the qualification system for the AFC U-20 Cup.
The Uzbekistan Football Association announced that the Uzbekistan national team will play an away friendly match against South Korea on October 6 as part of the next FIFA international window.
The team, led by Fabio Cannavaro, has planned a series of friendly games for October. South Korea has become the first officially confirmed opponent for the Uzbek squad. The exact start time and stadium for this match have not yet been determined.
The Korea Football Association has also confirmed the game on October 6, specifying that information regarding the venue and time will be announced later.
According to the latest FIFA rankings published on July 20, Uzbekistan ranks 60th. An analysis of recent encounters shows South Korea's advantage: in nine matches since 2011, Uzbekistan has failed to secure a single victory, recording six losses and three draws. The overall goal difference favors the South Korean team at 19–8.
The last game between the two teams took place in November 2018 and ended with a 4–0 victory for South Korea. Previously, during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the teams drew 0–0 in Tashkent, while South Korea won 2–1 in Seoul. It is also worth noting that at the 2015 Asian Cup, South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 2–0 in extra time in the quarter-finals.
The draw for the football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya has determined the groups and opponents for the men's and women's national teams of Uzbekistan.
The men's national team of Uzbekistan, as part of the U23 squad, has been placed in Group C. Within this group, the team will compete against teams from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Kuwait.
The women's national team of Uzbekistan will participate in Group G. Its opponents will be China, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.
After the completion of the group stage, the teams will continue to fight for tournament medals according to the established competition rules.
