Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan enter World Cup 2026 in Group K, where the early tests are Portugal, Colombia, and DR Congo. Uzbekistan have never played at a World Cup finals before, making this campaign a milestone for a program that has often been close to breaking through in Asia. The current squad is shaped around Eldor Shomurodov, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Islom Tukhtakhodjaev, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. Group K is unforgiving, but Uzbekistan can compete if they remain compact and patient. Shomurodov provides the finishing reference, while Khusanov gives the defense a high-upside anchor. If Uzbekistan can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.