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TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN The players of Uzbekistan sing their national anthem. Here are club teams for each player.

Uzbekistan made history on June 5, 2025, when a goalless draw against the UAE locked in a berth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first Central Asian nation ever to qualify for the tournament, according to Yahoo Sports reporter Ethan Sears.

Now the White Wolves face the hardest part: Group K, where Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo stand between Uzbekistan and any realistic path to the knockout rounds. Uzbekistan is also the first double-landlocked country — surrounded entirely by other landlocked nations — ever to reach a World Cup.

Below is the full Uzbekistan squad for the 2026 World Cup, with club affiliations for all 26 players.

Uzbekistan’s Key Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The squad’s marquee name is 22-year-old center-back Abdukodir Khusanov, who completed a move from Lens to Manchester City in January 2025 for over $46.6 million, making him the Premier League’s first Uzbek player, according to Scarves and Spikes writer Sydney Hunte. A defender with composure in tight spaces, Khusanov has grown into a regular starter at the Etihad and enters the tournament as Uzbekistan’s most recognizable face on the global stage.

Captain Eldor Shomurodov shoulders the goal-scoring burden. The 30-year-old forward — the nation’s all-time leading scorer — spent the 2025-26 season on loan from Roma at İstanbul Başakşehir, where he finished as the Turkish league’s joint-top scorer with 22 goals, according to Scarves and Spikes. His veteran experience in Serie A, across stints at Genoa, Roma and Cagliari, gives Uzbekistan a finishing option with proven quality at the highest club level.

Completing the three-headed star group is 22-year-old attacking midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev, also at İstanbul Başakşehir. Capped 30 times internationally, Fayzullaev brings creativity and dynamism to the center of the park, according to FOX Sports. He was slowed by injuries during the spring, but a healthy Fayzullaev remains a promising talent at 22.

Beyond the headliners, a few lesser-known names merit attention. Eighteen-year-old defender Bekhruz Karimov brings youthful energy and ambition that could translate into a breakout moment against superior opposition. Veteran midfielder Dostonbek Khamdamov, 29, of Pakhtakor, has been a reliable and largely unsung contributor throughout the qualifying campaign. And 23-year-old midfielder Sherzod Esanov, a recent senior debutant from Bukhara, adds depth to a roster that values collective cohesion over individual flash.

Uzbekistan’s 2026 World Cup Schedule and Group K Outlook

Uzbekistan opens against Colombia on June 17 in Mexico City (10 p.m. ET), then faces Portugal on June 23 in Houston (1 p.m. ET), before closing the group stage against DR Congo on June 27 in Atlanta (7:30 p.m. ET), according to FOX Sports.

Coach Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 Ballon d’Or winner who captained Italy to that year’s World Cup title, took charge of Uzbekistan in October 2025, according to FOX Sports. His mandate is clear: build from a defensive foundation, be hard to beat and play for the margins. The White Wolves are listed at 35/1 odds to emerge from Group K, according to the New York Post.

The realistic ceiling is advancing as one of the eight best third-place teams across all World Cup groups, a long shot but not mathematically impossible, according to Scarves and Spikes. Their most promising points opportunity comes against DR Congo in Atlanta. Against Portugal and Colombia, Cannavaro’s side figures to sit deep, absorb pressure and look to hurt teams on the counter.