The national team of Uzbekistan will play at the FIFA World Cup for the first time. What is known

Uzbekistan's national team will make its debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which starts on June 11, 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The team led by the legendary Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro got into Group K, where they will play with Portugal, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The national team of Uzbekistan became the only one from the CIS who was able to qualify for the final part of the tournament. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

The path to the final part of the World Cup

Uzbekistan made it to the World Cup finals for the first time in its history. The team has been one step away from its cherished goal for a long time: it was closest to success in 2006 (defeat in the play-offs by Bahrain) and in 2014 (defeat on penalties by Jordan in the playoffs). The current qualification was a triumph for the "golden generation": the team finished in second place in Group A in the second round of the Asian qualifying, scoring 21 points thanks to six wins and three draws. The first place in the table was taken by the national team of Iran. In addition, of all the teams in the post-Soviet space, only the national teams of Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan have ever made it to the World Cup.

Rivals and the group

The draw sent Uzbekistan to group K. The opponents of the "white wolves" will be the Portuguese, who occupy the fifth place in the FIFA ranking, the Colombian team (13th place), as well as the national team of DR Congo (45th place). All three group stage matches will be played in different cities. Uzbek football players will face Colombia on June 17 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The game against Portugal will take place on June 23 in Houston (USA) at the NRG Arena, and the match against the DRC will take place on June 27 in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Head coach and key players

Legendary Italian defender, 2006 world champion Cannavaro took over the team in October 2025, after Uzbekistan had already qualified for the World Cup. Eldor Shomurodov is the captain and one of the main stars of the team, playing for the Turkish Istanbul Basaksehir. It is his experience playing in Serie A and leadership qualities that are considered key to the success of the team. In addition, 22-year-old Manchester City defender Abdukodir Husanov, who became the first Uzbek football player in the English Premier League (Premier League), plays in the national team. It is noteworthy that currently its cost, according to the Transfermarkt portal, is one of the highest among players in the post—Soviet space. The defender is estimated at €50 million.

Composition and preparation

The final bid of 26 players was announced on June 2 and includes three goalkeeper positions, ten defenders, ten midfielders and seven strikers. Fifteen players represent the local Super League, the rest play in the championships of England, Turkey, Iran and the UAE. During the tournament, the team is based in Atlanta (Georgia), training at the modern base of the MLS club Atlanta United, which includes Russian midfielder Alexei Miranchuk.

Chances of success

The statistical agency Opta estimates the chances of the "white wolves" to win the entire tournament as 0.1%. At the same time, the probability of Uzbekistan reaching the playoffs of the tournament is estimated at 41.4%, in the 1/8 finals - 12.26%, in the quarterfinals — 3.89%, and in the semifinals — 1.09%.