The Uzbekistan national football team will play a friendly match against Canada as part of its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as per to an announcement by the Association of Football of Uzbekistan (AFF) on December 23.
The match is scheduled for June 1 and will be held in Edmonton, Canada. It will take place during the June international window and will be played on Canadian soil.
Uzbekistan and Canada have previously met once at senior level. Their only encounter was a friendly match held in June 2016, which ended in a 2–1 victory for Canada. In that match, David Elgar scored the opening goal for Canada in the 22nd minute, while Eldor Shomurodov equalized for Uzbekistan in the 62nd minute. An own goal by Akrom Komilov in the 80th minute decided the outcome.
The friendly match forms part of Uzbekistan’s preparations for its first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The 2026 tournament will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Uzbekistan has been placed in Group K for the group stage of the competition. The national team will play three matches against Colombia, Portugal, and the winner of the playoff between Jamaica, New Caledonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The total prize fund for the 2026 World Cup has been set at $727 mn. Each participating team, including Uzbekistan, is guaranteed to receive at least $10.5 mn.
