Usbekistan Targets Knockout Round in First World Cup Appearance
Usbekistan will play Colombia on Thursday in its first World Cup match after qualifying for the tournament for the first time. Fabio Cannavaro, who has coached the team since October, has set reaching the knockout round as the minimum goal.
The campaign that brought Usbekistan there was unusually tight at the top and disciplined on the field. Usbekistan lost only one of its 16 qualifying matches and finished second in its group behind Iran.
Fabio Cannavaro and Usbekistan
Cannavaro’s line before the tournament was blunt: “Gegen Usbeken zu spielen, ist eine Qual”. The comment fits a team that has already built a record of moving through major age-group events, even before reaching the senior World Cup stage.
Three years ago, Usbekistan’s Under-17 team drew 2-2 with Spain at the World Cup, beat England in the round of 16, and lost 0-1 to France. One year later, Usbekistan’s Under-23 team finished second at the Asian Championship and qualified for the Olympic football tournament for the first time.
Mirsijojew’s 40 BYD cars
President Schawkat Mirsijojew has ruled Uzbekistan authoritatively since 2016, and his support has become part of the football story. After Uzbekistan qualified for the World Cup in June 2025, Mirsijojew gave each team member one of 40 BYD electric cars and later provided the squad with a World Cup coach with a world reputation.
That sequence matters because the tournament debut is not arriving as a standalone surprise. Uzbekistan reached it after a qualifying run that left one loss on the record, and the country now enters the group stage with a public minimum target that goes beyond participation.
Colombia on Thursday
Thursday’s opening match against Colombia is the immediate test of whether that target can hold up against top-level opposition. The World Cup group also includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Portugal, which leaves Uzbekistan with no easy path after its first game.
What comes next is the first real measure of whether Cannavaro’s minimum can be met: the result against Colombia will set the tone before Uzbekistan meets the rest of its group opponents in the tournament.
