Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Uzbekistan

Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at tournament debutants Uzbekistan.

What can I expect from Uzbekistan?

The central Asian side's impressive form in qualifying meant they would have reached their first World Cup even if it hadn't been expanded to 48 teams.

Football in Uzbekistan, where combat sports are traditionally king, is developing fast and the national team's Fifa ranking has improved from 86th in the world four years ago to the top 50.

Nonetheless, performances against largely limited opposition have been mixed since 2006 World Cup-winning Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro replaced the popular Timur Kapadze as head coach last autumn.

A centre-back by trade, Cannavaro was brought in because the Uzbek FA believe "a defensive playing style brings results".

He has kept a 3-4-2-1 formation, which becomes 5-4-1 without the ball, and tried making them more compact.

What are Uzbekistan's strengths?

It's a settled and, in terms of age, experienced squad; the players know each other's game and a close-knit club-style atmosphere has fostered unity.

Cannavaro has described them as "fighters at heart – they never give up".

And what about their weaknesses?

Cannavaro has been vocal about the team needing to play with a higher tempo to hurt opponents. However, doing so exacerbates his other major concern – a lack of athleticism; mistakes have been prevalent late on as players tire.

Uzbekistan are ill-suited to playing out from the back so prefer to be direct but there's no clear Plan B if they can't open teams up down the flanks.

How might Uzbekistan line up?

Which players should I look out for?

It has been a breakthrough season for rapid Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, 21, the first player from Uzbekistan to feature in the Premier League. He is feted in his homeland, with jerseys featuring his name and number available at bazaars across the country.

Striker Eldor Shomurodov is Uzbekistan's captain and 43-goal all-time top scorer. He has enjoyed the most prolific season of his career at club level, scoring 20 goals in 32 games for Istanbul Başakşehir.

Abbosbek Fayzullaev is a 22-year-old winger voted Asia's best young player in 2023. His playing style has been compared to Champions League winner Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Paris Saint-Germain. Fayzullaev, who plays in Turkey, scored four goals during World Cup qualifying.

Who is Uzbekistan's head coach?

Italian Fabio Cannavaro returns to the World Cup 20 years after lifting the trophy as captain. He became Uzbekistan's head coach last October, admitting the World Cup was "the decisive reason". He has spent most of his coaching career in Asia.

How did Uzbekistan qualify?

They finished narrowly behind group winners Iran in both the second and third round of qualifying, with their only defeat in 16 games coming away to Qatar.

Where can I watch Uzbekistan?

All of Uzbekistan's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Uzbekistan is the first double-landlocked country to qualify for the World Cup.

Mind you, Liechtenstein is the only other nation in the world entirely surrounded by landlocked countries, meaning reaching a coastline requires crossing at least two national borders.

Now give me some proper detail

Asia's 'chokers' can finally breathe rarefied air, a place at the World Cup releasing Uzbekistan from suffocating past failures and the unflattering label levelled against them as a result.

It has been a long road to this point. Uzbekistan gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and the national team's World Cup hopes were first thwarted in bizarre fashion 20 years ago.

Uzbekistan thought they had gone 2-0 up at home in a play-off against Bahrain through a penalty, only for the referee to incorrectly award a free-kick against them for encroachment in the area. Fifa ordered the game to be replayed and Bahrain seized their second chance - though they subsequently lost to Trinidad & Tobago.

Uzbekistan missed out on an automatic World Cup spot in 2014 by a goal difference of one, and four years later failed to get the home win over South Korea needed to qualify. They didn't even make it to the final rounds of qualifying for Qatar 2022.

However, changes made before that time are coming to fruition. Central to the government's long-term football development plan is investment in infrastructure and youth, with around a third of the country's 38 million people under the age of 18.

The nation recently won Asian Cups at Under-17 and Under-20 level and beat England to reach the Under-17 World Cup quarter-finals in 2023.

No matter how Uzbekistan fare at their first senior World Cup, the nurturing of emerging young talent means it surely won't be their last.

How have Uzbekistan done at previous World Cups?

Uzbekistan are the first Central Asian country to reach a World Cup, after near misses in qualification in 2006, 2014 and 2018.