Uzbekistan football team: Rising stars, fixtures and FIFA 2026 hopes

2026 is a historical year for the Uzbekistan football team and their supporters. Decades of effort and tough work has finally paid off, as the national football team is debuting at the biggest international football competition: the FIFA 2026 World Cup. This article is your complete guide to the coach, the players, and the fixture schedule so you are ready to support them this summer!

Uzbekistan football team’s legendary coach

Fabio Cannavaro, currently the Uzbekistani coach, was the captain of the Italian team when they won the World Cup in 2006. Fabio has experience, knowledge and passion that White Wolves* need, so he has been in the lead since October, 2025.

*White Wolves is the official team’s nickname referring to the symbol of national pride (the wolf) and traditional kit colors (white).

Cannavaro surrounded himself with the Italian coaching staff: Eugenio Albarella, Francesco Troise, and Antonio Chimenti are also helping the team to level up their gaming skills. Cannavaro teaches the White Wolves to be brave. He tells them they have ‘nothing to lose’ against giant teams like Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. This "nothing to lose" position is pretty powerful, because it makes the team free – they can give their all without looking back on the previous wins, losses and community pressure.

Another name worth mentioning is Timur Kapadze, who was the national football team coach before Fabio and did a fantastic job guiding the team through World Cup qualifying stages.

Uzbekistan 2026 World Cup squad

The final 26-man roster is not announced yet. Managers have picked 40 players that are training in the camp and preparing to represent the country, including 4 goalkeepers, 13 defenders, 18 midfielders, and 5 forwards.

We have to wait until the final announcement to know who will be the managers’ picks. Until then, there are only rumors circling around.

Attention-grabbing players

The team has experienced and reliable Eldor Shomurodov and a lot of exciting rising talents, like Abdukodir Khusanov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev.

• Eldor Shomurodov, the captain. Shomurodov is the team's best scorer, as he scored five goals and made five assists during World Cup qualifying.

‘We’ll certainly do our best. We are representing our nation and that is why we are going to work hard and show the world that Uzbekistan is one of the strongest teams around. However, we can’t make any massive promises.’ – Eldor Shomurodov, 2026.

• Abdukodir Khusanov, a young defender. Khusanov is a huge rising talent, as he’s only 22 years old and already a top European league player. After Khusanov moved to Manchester City in England, his price skyrocketed from 134,000 to 47 million USD! That’s the real promotion right here.  

‘He's calm, powerful, he's fast. He doesn't talk but he's good. […] He has very, very impressive potential.’ – Will Still, 2025

• Abbosbek Fayzullaev, a fast winger. One more 22-year-old in the team. Fayzullaev scored important goals in the third round qualifying matches against Iran and Qatar. So we can expect more breathtaking moments created by him.

‘My relatives always support me and believe in me. But many in Uzbekistan said: “He will not be able to do it and will return soon.” Even some coaches expressed the same opinion. […] I think I've proven myself to those who don't believe in me with my game’  – Abbosbek Fayzullaev 2025.*

Tactics that Uzbekistan football team follows

The team usually follows a 3-4-2-1 formation, playing it safe and avoiding chaos.

Coach Cannavaro's strategy is clear so far: he wants a very strong defense which frustrates the other team. Cannavaro makes sure the team stays calm and collected under pressure.

White Wolves’ main weakness is that they sometimes struggle to pass well and create chances to score near the opponent's goal. Putting this aside, the team is ready to show us what it means to ‘never give up’.

More about the World Cup 2026:

• FIFA 2026 in Europe: How to watch online, on TV and offline.
• FIFA 2026 facts and figures: What you should know as a fan.
• How to watch FIFA 2026 in the UK: TV channels, streaming platforms and local fan zones.

White Wolves’ matches schedule

Uzbekistan football team will play on June 17th, 23th and 27th. Here is their detailed fixture schedule for Group K:

You can follow all updates on schedules, game results and team news on the official FIFA platform.

Uzbekistan had a long journey before they entered the World Cup main stages. The national football team failed to qualify seven times, with sad moments in 2005 against Bahrain and a penalty loss to Jordan in 2014. Finally in 2025, after a 0-0 draw against the UAE in the qualifying group stage, White Wolves survived the tough AFC qualification pathway for the first time in the country's history.

Now, the team is having a three-week training camp in Tashkent in May with 40 players. They will also play a friendly match against Canada on June 1st in Toronto.

Fan culture

The fans of the White Wolves are incredibly passionate and united. Supporters are ready to cheer like never before, since Uzbekistan is the very first country from Central Asia to reach the World Cup – it’s a big event for the whole region. Expets stadiums to turn green and white. If you’re going to a stadium, pub or gather with friends at home, here’s your fan kit:

• national flags to wave
• green scarves to wear
• something to paint your face with green and white

Uzbekistan’s debut in the World Cup is an exciting event and a reason for Uzbeks all around the globe to unite and enjoy their moment. Let’s cheer!

This article is for informational purposes only. Profee is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise connected to FIFA, the FIFA World Cup, any national football association, team, player, broadcaster, ticketing provider, or event organiser. All trademarks, names, logos, images, and other intellectual property belong to their respective owners. Information is accurate as of June 1st, 2026 and may change; check official sources for the latest details.