Uzbekistan's World Cup Debut Lifts Central Asian Soccer
When Uzbekistan kicks off against Colombia in Mexico City on June 17, it will be the first time a Central Asian nation has reached the World Cup finals. The debut is also spurring northern neighbour Kazakhstan, which took the harder road into European football, to raise its own ambitions.
C entral Asian soccer is having a moment. When Uzbekistan kicks off against Colombia at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 17, it will be the first time a country from Central Asia has reached the finals of the World Cup. The side known to fans as the White Wolves, ranked around 57th in the world, has qualified for the first time in its history.
More than just expansion
The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams helped, but Uzbek football content creator Sunnatillo Samatov told Eurasianet that it does not tell the whole story. "Over the past three years, we have faced Iran six times, a virtually constant participant in the World Cup, and have not suffered a single defeat," he said, arguing the team would most likely have qualified even under the old 32-team format.
Katanec laid the foundation
Samatov credits former manager Srečko Katanec of Slovenia with fixing a long-standing weakness. "Our team had previously been able to play attacking football, but its defense always had problems. The first thing Katanec did upon joining the team was build a solid defense," he said. Katanec stepped down in 2025 because of health issues. Timur Kapadze then secured qualification, and in October 2025 Italy's 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro took charge.
Kazakhstan watches enviously
Uzbekistan's rise has caught the eye of its northern neighbour Kazakhstan, which chose a harder path: in 2002 it left the Asian Football Confederation for European football's UEFA, citing stronger opposition and the financial pull of competitions such as the Champions League. The money is real. This season Almaty's FC Kairat reached the Champions League league phase for the first time and, despite finishing bottom with a single point, earned around 21 million euros, far more than Asian competitions offer. "Europe is a huge money-spinner," Kazakh football writer Arman Tynymov told Eurasianet.
Eyes on 2030
Kazakhstan, ranked around 110th and never a qualifier for a major tournament, is aiming at the 2030 World Cup as its "main strategic goal," Tynymov said, with the team meant to be seen as a regular contender to escape its qualifying group rather than an outsider. The federation recently appointed Scott Munn, former chief football officer at Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur, as general secretary, alongside club privatisations and grassroots investment.
A tough group for the debutants
For now the spotlight belongs to Uzbekistan, drawn in a demanding group with Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo. "Considering our group includes such strong opponents as Portugal and Colombia, I really hope we can advance to the playoffs from third place," Samatov said. "Advancing from such a tough group wouldn't be a bad result for a debut appearance."
Reporting: Paul Bartlett, Eurasianet, June 10, 2026.