By Fred He and Hassan Tayir, CNN

(CNN) — Uzbekistan qualified for its debut soccer World Cup on Thursday night, becoming the first ever Central Asian country to make it to the sport’s global showpiece.

A 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi secured the White Wolves a top-two finish in Group A of Asian Qualifiers, and a ticket to the tournament next summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov’s six saves, including a last-second stop, guaranteed his team a priceless point, to proceed with one game of qualifying remaining.

Fans celebrated the news across the soccer-obsessed nation, with people taking to the streets to cheer and march, with traditional music and songs.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called qualification “a brilliant result, which will be written in golden letters in the annals of our national sport,” in a statement posted online. He added that the players had brought “a holiday gift” on the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, widely observed in the majority-Muslim nation.

The team’s historic achievement is no major surprise to followers of Asian soccer, given the burgeoning talent among its squad. The side’s talented 21-year-old center back Abdukodir Khusanov now plays for Manchester City, having signed for the English giants in January for a reported £33.6 million (about $45 million).

Striker Eldor Shomurodov has played in Italy’s top league since 2020, while promising forward Abbosbek Fayzullaev, currently at CSKA Moscow, was named Asia’s Youth Player of the Year two years ago.

The breakthrough is the fruit of incredible recent performance in all age groups for the nation of 36 million people, which became independent in 1991 after the dissolution of the USSR.

Its trophy cabinet includes the Under-23 Asian Cup in 2018 and the Under-20 Asian Cup in 2023, as well as this year’s Under-17 Asian Cup. The team – currently ranked 57th in the world – also qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time in 2024, claiming one of Asia’s three berths.

The 2026 World Cup will for the first time expand from 32 teams to 48 teams, giving each continent, including Asia, additional spots, though qualifying automatically – with a game to spare – suggests Uzbekistan would have made it even under the previous format.

While soccer has long been beloved across the Central Asian region, that popularity has never been matched by international success at senior level. With qualification secured, Uzbekistan’s fans can celebrate on home turf when they face Qatar in the final match of the round, in the capital Tashkent on Wednesday.

Just hours after Uzbekistan’s triumph, Jordan become the next Asian country to make history, securing its first ever trip to the World Cup, defeating Oman 3-0.

Elsewhere in the region, Japan, Australia, Iran, and South Korea – all World Cup regulars – have also booked their places at next year’s finals.

The-CNN-Wire
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