Argentina secured their qualification even before playing - Photo: REUTERS
Playing at home, Iran drew 2-2 with Uzbekistan, a result just enough for them to secure an early qualification spot in Group A, Stage 3 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region.
Iran didn't play well in this match, falling behind twice to Uzbekistan, but their strong attacking performance helped them equalize. Star player Taremi became the hero for his team with two goals in the 52nd and 83rd minutes.
In the remaining two matches, UAE beat North Korea 2-1, while Qatar suffered a shocking 1-3 defeat against Kyrgyzstan. With these results, Iran secured the top spot in the group with 20 points, followed by Uzbekistan with 17 points, UAE with 13 points, Qatar with 10 points, Kyrgyzstan with 6 points, and North Korea with 2 points.
With only two matches remaining, Iran has already secured one of the top two positions in the group, thus officially qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The remaining qualifying spot in the group will be contested between Uzbekistan and the UAE.
Meanwhile, Qatar's hopes of securing an early qualification are dashed; they must secure a place in the top four to advance to the fourth stage. North Korea, on the other hand, has already said goodbye to their World Cup dreams.
Meanwhile, South Korea failed to secure qualification in Group B early, drawing 1-1 with Jordan in this match. After 8 rounds, South Korea has only 16 points, although they still hold the top spot but are only 3 points ahead of Jordan, 4 points ahead of Iraq, and 6 points ahead of Oman. The race in this group remains very tight.
Including the three host nations Canada, Mexico, and the USA, Iran became the sixth team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The seventh is Argentina, even though they haven't played their qualifying match this morning (against Brazil).
This result is due to Bolivia drawing 0-0 with Uruguay in the earliest match of the 14th round of the South American qualifiers.
Bolivia is currently ranked 7th with 14 points, 14 points behind Argentina, a gap that seems insurmountable with only 4 rounds remaining.
Due to FIFA increasing the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, South America has six automatic qualification spots. Messi and his teammates have virtually secured a place in the top six.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xac-dinh-them-2-doi-chau-a-va-nam-my-vao-world-cup-202503260625402.htm
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