Soccer
I'm a 35-year-old veteran who has never left Uzbekistan and now I'm trying to stop Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Luis Diaz
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Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debut this summer and the former Soviet nation will have their cut out in Group K as they face the challenge of Columbia, Congo, and Portugal.
The first timers qualified for the tournament after some solid showings in the Asian confederation, but can they transfer that form to the big stage despite being major underdogs as they enter the competition.
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Football fans may not be familiar with the majority of Uzbekistan’s squad, but Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov is well known after a solid showing last season despite a tough start to life in the English Premier League.
Former World Cup winner, Fabio Cannavaro, who lifted the trophy with Italy in 2006, is Uzbekistan’s manager, and he will be hoping his experience at the highest level will be enough to help his team cope with the demands of international football at the highest level.
Another defender worth keeping an eye on is the vastly experienced 35-year-old, Farrukh Sayfiev. The left-sided player has spent his entire career in Uzbekistan playing for some of his country's leading sides, but he is about to step up massively as he comes up against some of the best players in world football.
Despite never leaving Uzbekistan and receiving the same transfer speculation as some of his international teammates, Sayfiev is one of the most decorated players in the Uzbekistan squad after collecting several titles in the Uzbekistan Super League.
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How will that experience help him deal with Portugal and Columbia who will be ready to make an impact in the competition as they arrive in North America with some of the world’s best players.
Portugal are set to turn up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes as their attacking options, and they also have several players from the all-conquering PSG side that has just won its second consecutive Champions League with Vitinha and Joao Neves being two of their standout players.
For Columbia, Luis Diaz has had a stunning season in Germany with Bayern Munich as he won back-to-back league titles following his 2024/25 Premier League success with Liverpool.
It appears to be a hard task for Uzbekistan and if they are to exceed expectations then their campaign is likely to be built on a strong foundation and Sayfiev’s influence could be important.
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