Backed by state fortune, Uzbekistan challenges Colombia in its World Cup debut
The Uzbekistan national team is experiencing an unprecedented moment and takes the field this Wednesday to play its inaugural match in the history of World Cups, in a duel valid for the final round of the group stage. The decisive clash against the Colombian team is scheduled for 11pm (Brasília time) and will take place at the legendary Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, in a confrontation that defines the direction of Group K. The arrival of the Asian nation on the biggest stage of global football directly reflects the heavy financial injections led by the local head of state, driven by a strong financial revival in the country.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its subsequent independence in 1991, the Uzbek territory, which today is home to the largest population in Central Asia with more than 35 million inhabitants, has become the third former Soviet republic to compete in the FIFA tournament, following in the footsteps of Russia and Ukraine. Under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who took power in 2016, the government began to allocate billions of dollars to sports development, including football. This tactic is part of a broader plan of modernization and attempted democratization, seeking to eliminate the dark image left by former dictator Islam Karimov, whose 25-year term was marked by serious allegations of slave labor, political persecution and disrespect for fundamental rights.
Specialist Carlos Massari, responsible for the podcast “Copa Além da Copa” — a program focused on the intersections between sport and sociocultural issues — analyzes this government move with caution. According to the journalist, the Asian nation has implemented efficient planning to rebuild its global reputation through competitions. He assesses that, although the term “sportswashing” may come to mind, the practice in the country sounds less aggressive and focuses more on strengthening national pride. This is a clear transition from a once isolated and repressive State to a nation that seeks to open up to the world, restructuring its finances and aiming for power status in the most diverse modalities.
The passport stamped for the 2026 World Cup crowns a successful climb that had already gained the spotlight when the Uzbek territory hosted the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2024. The culmination of this sporting project, however, occurred during the Paris Olympic Games, where the delegation achieved its best historical performance after the Soviet era by finishing in 13th place overall. The country’s athletes brought home eight gold, two silver and three bronze medals, demonstrating absolute dominance in martial arts and combat sports, highlighted by five Olympic titles in boxing, as well as podiums in judo, taekwondo and wrestling.
All this leap in quality in the arenas and on the pitch is supported by the financial strength achieved during the current presidential administration. Holder of a very rich subsoil, full of abundant reserves of natural gas, gold, coal and oil, the Asian country has been recording annual jumps in its Gross Domestic Product, with optimistic projections for the short-term future. Taking advantage of this tide of prosperity and the undeniable passion of its population for Breton sport, leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev decided to open the coffers and multiply financial contributions directed to infrastructure and athlete training.
The level of state commitment to football became evident shortly after the mathematical confirmation of the unprecedented vacancy, which brought the country to a standstill and generated a gala ceremony organized by the Chief Executive himself. As a form of recognition for this historic achievement, all players who were part of the squad in the qualifiers were presented with brand new cars, in addition to receiving official decorations honoring merit and exclusive medals minted to celebrate the achievement.
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Within the four lines, the team’s success depends on individual talents who are beginning to shine in the European market, such as young defender Abdukodir Khusanov, just 21 years old. The defender caught the attention of the powerful Manchester City, who spent 40 million pounds sterling (around 300 million reais at the time) to sign him in the first months of 2025. Another fundamental piece in the tactical scheme is the experienced center forward and captain Eldor Shomurodov, whose rights belong to Roma, from Italy, but who currently defends the colors of Istanbul Basaksehir, in Turkish football.
The group’s cohesion was proven by the impressive numbers achieved recently, including a remarkable unbeaten run of 21 matches played between September 2023 and November 2024, totaling 14 wins and seven draws on the scoreboard. After a tight 3-2 defeat against Qatar, the squad embarked on a new positive streak of 11 matches without knowing what it was like to lose, a taboo that was only broken in a friendly against Uruguay, in October 2025. In the final stretch of preparation for the FIFA tournament, the Asian team ended up suffering defeats in tests against the teams of Canada and the Netherlands.
The passport to North America was stamped after an impeccable trajectory in the Asian Qualifiers, where the team accumulated ten wins, five draws and suffered just one stumble throughout the entire cycle. The mathematical place was celebrated early after a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates, a result that was enough to guarantee second place in Group A during the third and decisive stage of the continental qualifying tournament.
