AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa held a meeting with football leaders from Central Asia, including officials from Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan, to discuss plans for future cooperation and the next steps in developing football in the region. The meeting was also attended by Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) First Vice President Ravshan Irmatov.

Shaikh Salman praised the significant progress achieved by Central Asian football associations in recent years.

“Uzbekistan has demonstrated its capability to host major tournaments by successfully organizing the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2022, the AFC U-20 Asian Cup in 2023, and the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2024 at a high level,” said the AFC President.

He also highlighted the Uzbekistan national team’s strong performance in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, expressing his optimism that the team is close to securing a place in the World Cup and wished them success in their campaign.

In addition, the AFC President commended the ongoing initiatives and efforts of Central Asian football federations in developing youth and women’s football across the region. He emphasized the importance of launching new initiatives, enhancing collaboration, and encouraging the exchange of experiences to elevate the standard of football in Central Asia.

Shaikh Salman stressed the need for united efforts and innovative projects to support the continued growth of football, expressing confidence that all football associations in the region would benefit from stronger cooperation and shared opportunities in the future.

For his part, UFA First Vice President Ravshan Irmatov noted that hosting international tournaments has provided valuable experience for Uzbekistan, and that the countries of Central Asia aim to host even larger football events in the future — turning them into true celebrations for football fans in the region.

“Football in Central Asia is developing year by year. The fact that four teams from the region — Uzbekistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic — reached the knockout stage of the recent AFC Asian Cup is clear proof of this progress. Hosting the AFC Asian Cup in our region in the future is one of our key goals,” said Irmatov.