The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially announced the list of clubs that have obtained licenses for the 2025/26 season. According to this, 17 clubs from Uzbekistan have gained the right to participate in continental competitions.
With this result, our country ranks third after Qatar (18) and Indonesia (18), once again demonstrating its position among the leading nations in Asian football. Countries like the UAE (14 clubs), Saudi Arabia (13), Oman (12), and Vietnam (11) also actively participated in football development.
Among our neighbors, only 2 clubs from Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have managed to obtain licenses. This further highlights Uzbekistan's dominance in the region.
In the 2023/24 season, Uzbekistan also showed high activity with 17 clubs, and in 2024/25, this figure was raised to 19. However, the suspension of activities by the "Turon" and "Metallurg" clubs affected the total number this season.
All 16 clubs participating in the Super League have successfully obtained the AFC license. From the Pro League teams, only the "Lokomotiv" club from Tashkent has met the standards and has been included in the list of licensed teams.
It should be noted that according to the regulations of the Super League and Pro League, a club that did not previously have an AFC license could have been deprived of the right to participate in the Super League in the next season. However, this requirement has been abolished in the new edition. That is, a club without a license can also participate in the Super League in the 2026 season.
This news opens up great opportunities for our country's football clubs. Because having an international license will elevate teams to a new level not only in sports but also in financial and organizational aspects.
You can see in the following graphic how many clubs have obtained licenses from each country.
