Fabio Cannavaro Sets Uzbekistan on Colombia World Cup Schedule
Fabio Cannavaro has Uzbekistan on the colombia world cup schedule for a June 17 opener against Colombia in Mexico City, the first match of the country’s World Cup debut. The group route then sends Uzbekistan to Houston and Atlanta, giving the side three matches across three cities in the space of 10 days.
Mexico City Starts the Run
Uzbekistan opens against Colombia at 8pm local time on 17 June in Mexico City, then plays Portugal on 23 June in Houston at noon local time and DR Congo on 27 June in Atlanta at 7.30pm local time. For a team making its first World Cup appearance in 2026, the schedule is fixed from the start.
Cannavaro arrived last year after Uzbekistan had already secured qualification, and he signed an initial two-year contract. On the day he arrived after being selected as coach, he said: “I’m happy to be given this opportunity, it is a great honour. I came here not to change everything, but to continue the work that has been started”
Cannavaro and Uzbekistan
The assignment comes after Uzbekistan lost only one of its 16 qualification matches across the two rounds. It drew all four matches against Iran during qualification, and Utkir Yusupov saved penalties in both matches against North Korea, including the away fixture played in Laos.
Cannavaro won the 2006 World Cup as Italy’s captain, a pedigree that now sits behind Uzbekistan’s first run on the game’s biggest stage. He has also described the move from player to coach in stark terms: “I have played many games on the field where I thought I had given everything” and “But after hanging up my boots and starting my coaching career, I realised that 90 minutes on the field can never be compared to the life of a coach.”
Uzbekistan’s Qualification Route
The build-up matters because Uzbekistan did not reach 2026 by surviving one narrow playoff or one late result. It went through three rounds of qualification, kept its run together across 16 games, and now enters the tournament with a clear route through Mexico City, Houston and Atlanta.
Abdukodir Khusanov adds another marker to the squad’s profile, with his place in the broader discussion of Uzbekistan players reaching elite club football. But the immediate task is simpler: Colombia first, then Portugal, then DR Congo, all within a tournament debut that begins on 17 June and tightens quickly after that opening night in Mexico City.
