Uzbekistan has unveiled its final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament. The national team, led by Italian head coach Fabio Cannavaro, will compete at the tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The squad announcement follows Uzbekistan’s historic qualification campaign, which saw the team become the first Central Asian nation to reach the FIFA World Cup finals.
Uzbekistan secured qualification during the AFC Asian Qualifiers after a consistent run of results in the second and third qualifying rounds. The decisive moment came on 5 June 2025, when the team earned a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, securing a top-two finish in their group and a direct place at the World Cup.
During the qualification process, Uzbekistan faced teams including Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan and Hong Kong at different stages of the AFC qualifiers. The team finished its campaign strongly with a 3–0 victory over Qatar in Tashkent.
FIFA described the achievement as a historic breakthrough after several decades of near misses in previous qualification campaigns.
Uzbekistan will compete in Group K at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team is scheduled to face Colombia on 18 June, Portugal on 23 June and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 28 June.
Football analysts have highlighted Uzbekistan’s disciplined defence as one of the team’s key strengths throughout qualification, with players such as Abdukodir Khusanov and Eldor Shomurodov expected to play leading roles during the tournament.
A 13-month-old Chihuahua named Comando is helping Mexico’s National Guard connect with the public, becoming its smallest canine member and an...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound f...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered an Iranian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave the United States after ...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the country militarily, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while investigators examine the motive of the co-pilot involved.
Passengers restrained a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed the pilot and tried to crash a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 30 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in Europe.
North Korea has dismissed as a “farce” Seoul’s claim that Pyongyang was responsible for a landmine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line that injured three South Korean soldiers.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered an Iranian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave the United States after negotiations between Washington and Tehran stalled, according to a U.S. official.
Afghanistan says its forces have killed 41 fighters and captured 62 others after several days of fighting in eastern Nuristan, accusing Pakistan’s military of helping armed groups cross into Afghan territory.
Azerbaijan has opened ADEX 2026 and Securex Caspian in Baku, bringing together defence, security and technology representatives from around the world for the three-day exhibitions.
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German role in developing supply chains and higher-value production.
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has proposed building a new 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit in Armenia as Yerevan weighs competing international offers, its head Alexey Likhachev said on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment