Uzbekistan, Jordan Qualify For 2026 FIFA World Cup; China Eliminated
Uzbekistan clinched its place with a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates in Group A. This result was sufficient for the Central Asian team, featuring Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov and Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov, to become the fifth team to qualify for the tournament, joining Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and Argentina.
In the same group, Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, narrowly defeated 10-man Iran 1-0.
Both Qatar and the UAE will advance to the playoffs, where two additional World Cup spots will be contested, according to Xinhua.
In Group B, Jordan made history by qualifying for its first World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Oman. South Korea, a regular participant on the world stage, secured a 2-0 away win against Iraq to maintain its perfect run since 1986. Iraq will join the playoffs, while the final playoff spot from the group will be decided between Oman and Palestine, who face off in the final round.
China's slim hopes were extinguished in Group C after a 1-0 defeat to Indonesia in Jakarta. Ole Romeny converted a penalty just before halftime to secure the win and send Indonesia to the playoff round, while China was left to reflect on another unsuccessful campaign.
Bahrain also exited contention following a 2-0 loss to Saudi Arabia. In another match, Australia claimed a 1-0 victory over Japan in Perth, positioning itself strongly to secure a direct berth from the group. The Socceroos lead Saudi Arabia by three points and have a +8 goal difference advantage heading into the final round.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, with 48 teams competing across 48 venues.
(With IANS Inputs)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- Indian Express
ICC ODI rankings: Rohit Sharma jumps to 2nd spot a day after training return and Babar Azam's West Indies flop show
A day after India's 50-overs captain Rohit Sharma was reported to have hit training for the first time since the end of the IPL 2025 season, the 38-year-old Mumbaikar moved closer to the top spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ODI batting rankings, vaulting to second place over Pakistan's Babar Azam. Despite not featuring in an ODI since smashing a rollicking 76 in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy against New Zealand in Dubai in March, the star India opener moved up a place behind his young teammate Shubman Gill after Babar's repetitive failures in the West Indies. The former Pakistan captain only score 56 runs in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies. In the series decider on Tuesday, Babar managed only nine runs as Pakistan crumbled in a 295-run chase, bundling for 92. Besides Rohit and Gill, India possess three other batters in the top 15, with former captain Virat Kohli standing fourth, Shreyas Iyer eighth and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul ranking 15th. Following a largely successful Test tour against England for India under Shubman Gill ending 2-2 recently, reports have circulated on the uncertainty of the future of both Rohit and Kohli in the ODI format. While the two stalwarts had pulled the plug on their T20I careers following the World Cup in the Caribbean last year, Rohit and Kohli both announced their Test retirements within an inteval of few days in May earlier this year. On Tuesday, just days after Virat Kohli posted a photo of himself after a training session in the UK, Rohit also posted a picture of himself with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in the gym. Nayar reposted that with the caption that said: 'Let it begin'. Rohit has begun training with Nayar at a suburban Mumbai facility after taking a break of a couple of months from cricket following the IPL, according to PTI.
Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
ICC gift wraps a present to Rohit Sharma after Babar Azam tanks; fans can't keep calm: 'Even at 38, he is dominating'
He is 38 years old and in the last phase of his career, but the force known to the world as Rohit Sharma is unstoppable. The India captain, despite not having played for the country since March, made some movement in the men's ranking for ODI batters. The ICC took note of Babar Azam's disappointing series against the West Indies and swapped his place with Rohit's in the top five. Babar, who scored 56 runs from three ODIs against the Windies, drops a position to No. 3, thus implying that Rohit takes the second spot at No. 2 with 756 points, a rung below table-topper Shubman Gill, who leads the pack with 784 points. Rohit Sharma returns to action for India in October(AFP) Rohit attained his career-best ODI ranking points during the 2019 World Cup, when, after smashing a record-breaking 5th century in the tournament, his numbers rose to 882. Besides Rohit and Gill, the other two Indian batters in the top-10 are Virat Kohli at No. 4 and Shreyas Iyer at No. 8. KL Rahul takes the 15th position. Rohit's rise comes as a boost to the Indian captain as he hits the ground running ahead of his much-awaited India comeback. Rohit hasn't been in action since the end of the IPL 2025, having announced his retirement from Test cricket in May. Rohit fans, on expected lines, could not keep calm, and going by their posts, are pretty psyched to see the Hitman back on the field soon. Below are some posts: Rohit Sharma to return in October Rohit, along with Virat Kohli, was expected to return to competitive cricket this month, as India was scheduled to tour Bangladesh for three ODIs in August. However, the postponement of the series to next year meant that his comeback got delayed to October, when India play three one-dayers against Australia across Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, starting October 19. The Australia series is just the start of a long ODI road ahead for Rohit, who, at 38, finds himself in a race against time to be ready for the 2027 World Cup. Amid contradictory reports surrounding Rohit's future, the India skipper linked up with former India coach Abhishek Nayar after he returned to the country following a vacation. Some reports also claim that Rohit could be losing his captaincy in ODI to Shubman Gill, since the 25-year-old proved himself in the Test series in England, but the BCCI has yet to address the issue. The board is currently focused on finalising India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup and then streamlining ideas for India's title defence at next year's T20 World Cup at home.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Indians racially attacked in Ireland: Ex-Irish cricketer Kevin O'Brien backs victims, says ‘Ireland is your home too'
Former Ireland cricketer Kevin O'Brien came out in public to support the Indian community after the recent racial attacks in the country. Describing the attacks 'hateful', O'Brien condemned the attacks and acknowledged the contributions by the Indians in Ireland and stated that they are "deeply valued". 'I want to say how deeply saddened I am by the recent racist and hateful acts against Indians in Ireland. These attacks do not represent who we are as a people. India and its people hold a very special place in my heart," said the former international, who played 153 ODIs, 110 T20Is and three Tests for Ireland during his career. 'I want to reiterate to the Indian community that Ireland is your home too. Your contribution to Irish society is immense, and we deeply value everything you do," added O'Brien, who roared into limelight with a then fastest ODI World Cup hundred against England in 2011 in India. The video was reposted by the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi. 'A special message from Irish cricketer @KevinOBrien113. The bond between our countries will remain unshaken by the actions of a small few," read the caption.
