Uzbekistan
UZB · AFC
Head Coach
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro leads Uzbekistan into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tasked with guiding the squad through a competitive Group K and beyond. The coaching staff has been preparing tactical approaches tailored to the expanded 48-team tournament format.
Group Stage Venue
San Francisco
Uzbekistan will play their group stage matches in San Francisco. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted across three nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — with matches spread across 16 world-class venues.
Squad (26 players)
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Recent Form & Current State
Uzbekistan qualified through AFC qualification under World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, ending their long wait for a World Cup debut. They reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals in 2024 and have been one of Central Asia's most consistent teams. Their qualifying campaign was impressive.
Form heading into a major tournament is often a key indicator of how far a team can progress. Uzbekistan, currently ranked #50 in the FIFA World Rankings, will look to carry momentum from their recent qualifying and friendly campaigns into the group stage. Consistency in results and squad cohesion built during the qualification cycle will be vital assets. The AFCrepresentatives will be eager to demonstrate their quality on the world's biggest stage in 2026.
World Cup History
This will be Uzbekistan's first ever World Cup appearance. They have come close several times, notably reaching the AFC playoff rounds for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Their qualification represents a historic breakthrough for Central Asian football.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Uzbekistan's history in the competition provides important context for their 2026 campaign. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, every nation faces both new opportunities and new challenges in the revamped group stage format featuring groups of four with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout round. Uzbekistan will aim to write a new chapter in their World Cup story at this historic edition of the tournament.
Group K Opponents
Uzbekistan faces Portugal and Colombia and DR Congo in Group K. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Group dynamics, head-to-head records, and tactical matchups will all play a role in determining which teams progress from this stage.