Mighty Iran need only a point to qualify

Iran need only a draw from their match against Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran tomorrow to join Japan in securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup while stuttering South Korea will look to steady their nerves against visitors Jordan.

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Iran, who are looking to confirm a fourth consecutive appearance at the finals, lead Uzbekistan by three points in Group A and hold a nine-point advantage over United Arab Emirates with three matches to play.

They defeated UAE 2-0 in Tehran on Thursday.

The top two from each of Asia's three groups in the third phase of qualifying advance directly to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with nations finishing third and fourth moving on to a fourth round of qualifiers in October.

Japan became the first country to qualify for the finals on Thursday.

Iran and Uzbekistan have played each other three times in the 2026 qualifying campaign, with all three matches ending in draws.

Asian champions Qatar take on Kyrgyzstan and the UAE play North Korea with both needing wins to maintain their hopes of an automatic berth, although the pair appear increasingly likely to advance to the fourth phase.