Uzbekistan at the FIFA World Cup 2026

History

Uzbekistan are making their debut at the FIFA World Cup in 2026. As part of the Soviet Union before independence in 1991, Uzbekistan never appeared at a World Cup in their own right. Since gaining independence they have competed in AFC qualifying for every World Cup from 1998 onward without success, until 2025. Their qualification makes them the first Central Asian nation, and the third former Soviet republic after Russia and Ukraine, to reach the World Cup finals. They have no previous World Cup record or titles.

Qualification

Uzbekistan sealed their historic first World Cup qualification on June 5, 2025 with a 0-0 draw away against the United Arab Emirates in the AFC third-round qualifying stage. The campaign spanned 16 matches, in which they recorded 10 wins and 5 draws. Timur Kapadze was the coach who guided them to qualification. In October 2025, Italian World Cup-winning legend Fabio Cannavaro was appointed as head coach to prepare the team for the tournament itself.

Preparation

Fabio Cannavaro held a three-week training camp in Tashkent from May 6 to 26 with a 40-man squad, using matches against domestic Super League clubs to build fitness and cohesion. An extended preliminary squad of 30 players was subsequently announced, to be trimmed to 26 before the tournament begins. Two international friendlies are scheduled: against Canada on June 1 and against the Netherlands on June 8. In the March 2026 window, Uzbekistan beat Gabon 3-1 and drew with Venezuela, demonstrating solid form. Cannavaro has publicly stated that Uzbekistan have "nothing to lose" against the established powers in Group K.

Squad

PlayerPositionClub
Utkir YusupovGKNavbahor Namangan
Botirali ErgashevGKNeftchi Fergana
Abduvohid NematovGKNasaf Qarshi
Abdukodir KhusanovDFManchester City
Rustam AshurmatovDFIstiklol
Farrukh SayfievDFNeftchi Fergana
Khojiakbar AlijonovDFPakhtakor
Sherzod NasrullaevDFPakhtakor
Umar EshmurodovDFNasaf Qarshi
Avazbek UlmasalievDFAGMK
Bekhruz KarimovDFSurkhan
Jakhongir UrozovDFDinamo Tashkent
Abdulla AbdullaevDFDibba Al Fujairah
Ruslanbek JiyanovDFNavbahor Namangan
Odiljon HamrobekovMFTractor SC
Otabek ShukurovMFBaniyas
Akmal MozgovoyMFPakhtakor
Sherzod EsanovMFBukhara
Jamshid IskanderovMFNeftchi Fergana
Jasur JaloliddinovMFSogdiana Jizzakh
Aziz GanievMFAl Bataeh
Umarali RakhmonalievMFSabah FK
Abbosbek FayzullaevFWIstanbul Basaksehir
Jaloliddin MasharipovFWEsteghlal Tehran
Eldor ShomurodovFWIstanbul Basaksehir
Oston UrunovFWPersepolis
Igor SergeevFWPersepolis
Dostonbek HamdamovFWPakhtakor
Azizbek AmonovFWDinamo Samarqand
Sherzod TemirovFWErbil

Recent results

  • 2023-11-16 — TKM 1-3 UZB (qualification)
  • 2023-11-21 — UZB 2-2 IRN (qualification)
  • 2024-01-07 — UZB 1-0 PLE (friendly)
  • 2024-03-21 — HKG 0-2 UZB (qualification)
  • 2024-03-26 — UZB 3-0 HKG (qualification)
  • 2024-06-06 — UZB 3-1 TKM (qualification)
  • 2024-06-11 — IRN 0-0 UZB (qualification)
  • 2024-09-05 — UZB 1-0 PRK (qualification)
  • 2024-09-10 — KGZ 2-3 UZB (qualification)
  • 2024-10-10 — UZB 0-0 IRN (qualification)
  • 2024-10-15 — UZB 1-0 UAE (qualification)
  • 2024-11-14 — QAT 3-2 UZB (qualification)
  • 2024-11-19 — PRK 0-1 UZB (qualification)
  • 2025-01-22 — UZB 0-0 JOR (friendly)
  • 2025-03-20 — UZB 1-0 KGZ (qualification)
  • 2025-03-25 — IRN 2-2 UZB (qualification)
  • 2025-06-05 — UAE 0-0 UZB (qualification)
  • 2025-06-10 — UZB 3-0 QAT (qualification)
  • 2025-10-10 — UZB 2-0 KUW (friendly)
  • 2025-10-13 — UZB 1-2 URU (friendly)
  • 2026-01-26 — UZB 2-2 CHN (friendly)

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