Uzbekistan
First World Cup ever in the nation's history — coached by 2006 winner Fabio Cannavaro.
Team rating
- Attack70
- Midfield71
- Defense74
Next matches
- Next upvs PortugalNRG Stadium, HoustonJun 23
- vs DR CongoMercedes-Benz Stadium, AtlantaJun 27
The read
Uzbekistan are at their first World Cup ever, in the entire history of the independent nation. They sealed it by grinding out a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in June 2025, and grown men wept on the pitch when the final whistle blew. They're coached by Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro — who captained Italy to the World Cup title in 2006 and was named the best player on the planet that year — and their best defender just signed for Manchester City.
The fan’s readWriting chapter one — a first World Cup ever, grown men weeping at qualification, coached by 2006 winner Cannavaro with a Manchester City defender at the back. Every minute is brand-new history.
The cast
- Fabio CannavaroItalian legend who captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup title and was named the world's best player that yearmanager
- Eldor ShomurodovThe captain who put his country on the football map, at its first World Cup ever.ClubIstanbul Basaksehir (on loan from AS Roma)
- Abdukodir Khusanov ★Manchester City paid 46m+ for an Uzbek defender almost nobody had heard of — six months later, the World Cup.ClubManchester City
- Abbosbek FayzullaevHe doesn't run in straight lines — fluid, instinctive, and hard to mark.ClubIstanbul Basaksehir
- Jaloliddin MasharipovThe veteran architect who was there for every failed qualification before this one.Clubunverified (2025-26 club not confirmed)
