Teams
Uzbekistan are one of the five nations to have qualified for their first ever World Cup, and they did so with style. They finished second in Group A, just two points short of table topping Iran, and 6 points clear of third place, and lost just a single game in 16 to make it to the world stage. Despite having not played in the World Cup before, they have actually taken part in the previous 8 editions of the AFC Asian Cup, and last time out in 2023, they made it through to the Quarter Finals where they were eventually beaten by Qatar on penalties. Uzbekistan were the only side in the entire tournament that Qatar failed to defeat in normal time on their way to lifting their second straight trophy.
22 year old Khusanov joined Manchester City in 2025 and became the first Uzbek player ever to sign for a Premier League side, joining from Lens in France. After making his debut for his country at the age of 19, and featuring in that Asian Cup run in 2023, he has become a mainstay member of the national team, and even for Manchester City, he has improved immensely following a shaky start. He helped to win the EFL Cup for his club earlier this year, and the defender will surely be one of the leaders of a dressing room full of players playing in the local Uzbek league.
