{"id":4742,"date":"2026-06-27T18:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/27\/uzbekistan-makes-its-world-cup-debut-a-first-for-central-asia\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T18:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:00:10","slug":"uzbekistan-makes-its-world-cup-debut-a-first-for-central-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4742","title":{"rendered":"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-06-27T09:45:19-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">June 27, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">9:45 AM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<p class=\"byline__name--block\">By\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/825430211\/charles-maynes\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Charles Maynes<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"headlineaudio\" class=\"storylocation linkLocation\">\n<article id=\"resnx-s1-9814580\" class=\"bucketwrap resaudio\" aria-label=\"audio-module\">\n<div class=\"audio-module\">\n<h4 class=\"audio-module-title\">Uzbekistan&#8217;s first-ever World Cup appearance is a dream come true for players and fans<\/h4>\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls-wrap\" data-audio='{\"uid\":\"g-s1-129705:nx-s1-9814580\",\"available\":true,\"duration\":272,\"title\":\"Uzbekistanu0027s first-ever World Cup appearance is a dream come true for players and fans\",\"audioUrl\":\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/atc\/2026\/06\/20260617_atc_world_cup_2026_uzbekistan_s_moment.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5801090&amp;p=2&amp;seg=6&amp;d=272&amp;size=4366882&amp;sc=siteplayer\",\"storyUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/27\/g-s1-129705\/uzbekistan-world-cup\",\"slug\":\"soccer edition\",\"program\":\"\",\"affiliation\":\"\",\"song\":\"\",\"artist\":\"\",\"album\":\"\",\"track\":0,\"type\":\"segment\",\"subtype\":\"other\",\"skipSponsorship\":false,\"hasAdsWizz\":false,\"isStreamAudioType\":false,\"podcastEpisodeRawType\":\"\",\"podcastEpisodeDerivedPlusType\":\"\"}' data-audio-metrics=\"[]\">\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls audio-module-controls--no-js\">\n            <a class=\"audio-module-listen\" href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/atc\/2026\/06\/20260617_atc_world_cup_2026_uzbekistan_s_moment.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5801090&amp;p=2&amp;seg=6&amp;d=272&amp;size=4366882&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\"><br \/>\n                <b class=\"audio-module-listen-inner\"><br \/>\n                    <b class=\"audio-module-listen-text\"><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-cta\"><br \/>\n                            Listen<br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-listen-duration\"><br \/>\n                            <span>\u00b7 <\/span><br \/>\n                            <span>4:32<\/span><br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                    <\/b><br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n                <time class=\"audio-module-duration\" datetime=\"P4M,32S\"><br \/>\n                  <span class=\"audio-module-duration__initial-value\">4:32<\/span><br \/>\n                <\/time>\n        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"audio-module-tools\">\n            <a class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/g-s1-129705\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"g-s1-129705\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9814580\",\"title\":\"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n                <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n        <button class=\"audio-module-tools-toggle\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_open_more_options\",\"storyId\":\"g-s1-129705\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9814580\",\"title\":\"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n            <b class=\"label\">Toggle more options<\/b><br \/>\n        <\/button><\/p>\n<ul class=\"audio-module-more-tools\">\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-download\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/atc\/2026\/06\/20260617_atc_world_cup_2026_uzbekistan_s_moment.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5801090&amp;p=2&amp;seg=6&amp;d=272&amp;size=4366882&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_download\",\"storyId\":\"g-s1-129705\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9814580\",\"title\":\"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Download<\/b><\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-embed\">\n                    <button data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/g-s1-129705\/nx-s1-9814580\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_embed\",\"storyId\":\"g-s1-129705\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9814580\",\"title\":\"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"button-inner\"><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Embed<\/b><\/b><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"audio-embed-overlay\">\n                        <label class=\"embed-label\"><br \/>\n                            <b class=\"label\">Embed<\/b><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/label><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"embed-url embed-url-touch\"><br \/>\n                            <code><b class=\"punctuation\">&lt;<\/b>iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/g-s1-129705\/nx-s1-9814580\" width=\"100%\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"NPR embedded audio player\"&gt;<\/code><br \/>\n                        <\/b>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\">\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/g-s1-129705\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"g-s1-129705\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9814580\",\"title\":\"Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n                    <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n                  <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130314\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 3927;--source-height: 2618\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3927x2618+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Feb%2F8c%2Ff226eba54d2281edb3e6ac945f91%2Fap26174677999641.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3927x2618+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Feb%2F8c%2Ff226eba54d2281edb3e6ac945f91%2Fap26174677999641.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Portugal's Francisco Conceicao, right, vies for the ball with Uzbekistan's Khojiakbar Alijonov during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan in Houston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Portugal&#8217;s Francisco Conceicao, right, vies for the ball with Uzbekistan&#8217;s Khojiakbar Alijonov during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan in Houston, June 23.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Ashley Landis\/AP<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Ashley Landis\/AP<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>TASHKENT, Uzbekistan \u2014 Uzbekistan&#8217;s White Wolves men&#8217;s soccer team entered this World Cup as underdogs. By all appearances, as underdogs they will leave.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Uzbekistan was soundly thrashed by Portugal 5-0 \u2014 significantly reducing the country&#8217;s chances to qualify for the next round of play in this World Cup, the first ever for a Central Asian nation.<\/p>\n<p>Yet for many Uzbeks, the White Wolves&#8217; mere presence at the tournament was always a dream come true \u2014 and mirrored the country&#8217;s wider ambitions, win or lose.<\/p>\n<p>Uzbek fans have reveled in the chance to showcase their country and culture, staying behind long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DZ8uMRhRJXR\/\" target=\"_blank\">after the matches ended<\/a> to pose for photos as steppe warriors, give away the country&#8217;s ubiquitous embroidered <em>duppy<\/em> skullcaps, or just<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DZ8OiTixsC-\/\" target=\"_blank\"> joyously dance<\/a> to drums.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For the whole nation, to represent our country on the big stage. It&#8217;s [a] huge honor,&#8221; explains the White Wolves star forward Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who scored Uzbekistan&#8217;s first (and, thus far, only) World Cup goal in a 3-1 loss to Colombia on June 17.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130315\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 4189;--source-height: 2793\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4189x2793+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2Fc3%2Fa1997490433cb6dfc786e66ec6f3%2Fap26169127535510.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4189x2793+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2Fc3%2Fa1997490433cb6dfc786e66ec6f3%2Fap26169127535510.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Uzbekistan's Abbosbek Fayzullaev celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Uzbekistan and Colombia in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 17, 2026.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Uzbekistan&#8217;s Abbosbek Fayzullaev celebrates after scoring his team&#8217;s first goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Uzbekistan and Colombia in Mexico City, June 17.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Natacha Pisarenko\/AP<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Natacha Pisarenko\/AP<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Long before the tournament ever began, the country&#8217;s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, began <a href=\"https:\/\/president.uz\/en\/lists\/view\/8278\" target=\"_blank\"><u>touting the team as a symbol of <\/u><em><u>&#8220;<\/u><\/em><u>the new Uzbekistan&#8221;<\/u><\/a> \u2014 one part of what Mirziyoyev says is a &#8220;golden generation&#8221; of Uzbek youth &#8220;destined&#8221; to make their mark in sports, culture, and science. Even chess.<\/p>\n<p>That success has been a long time coming for a nation that struggled to emerge from the chaos of the collapse of the USSR \u2014 with football playing a role in forging a sense of national identity.<\/p>\n<p>Azamat Abduraimov, a constant member of Uzbek football teams of the 1990s, recalls the thrill of seeing fellow Uzbeks go from securing a rare spot on Team USSR to suddenly fielding their own national squad once Uzbekistan became an independent nation in 1991.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When we started to play for independent Uzbekistan it was important to us because we realized we could compete on the international stage as \u2014 namely \u2014 Uzbek footballers,&#8221; says Abduraimov.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130316\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 1989;--source-height: 1415\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1989x1415+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2c%2Feb%2F4301e4a847baaa77833119d84cc6%2Fgettyimages-2058282.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1989x1415+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2c%2Feb%2F4301e4a847baaa77833119d84cc6%2Fgettyimages-2058282.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Paul Osborne of England battles for the ball with Abduraimov Azamat of Usbekistan during the 2003 World 5s Futsal Championship between England and Usbekistan JUNE 5 2003 at the Bukit Jalil Putra Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Paul Osborne of England battles for the ball with Abduraimov Azamat of Uzbekistan during the 2003 World 5s Futsal Championship between England and Uzbekistan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Stanley Chou\/Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Stanley Chou\/Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>He notes that the Uzbekistan men&#8217;s national squad of which he was a part won the Asian Games gold medal in 1994. &#8220;It&#8217;s still the only championship for a former Soviet republic,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is really a land of talents \u2026 in every direction,&#8221; says Ravshan Irmatov, vice president of Uzbekistan&#8217;s Football Association, in an interview with NPR in Uzbekistan&#8217;s capital Tashkent.<\/p>\n<p>He says Uzbekistan&#8217;s World Cup debut \u2014 34 years in the making \u2014 is the fruit of years of government investments in wider programs for youth.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Today&#8217;s result is not coming by chance,&#8221; says Irmatov. &#8220;It&#8217;s not just luck, you know? Uzbekistan is doing and investing [a] lot for [the] future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: Several young Uzbek players have emerged as breakout stars in leagues in Europe and the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>None brighter than Abdukodir Khusanov<em>.\u00a0<\/em>The 22-year old Uzbek defender has quickly become a mainstay at Manchester City in the British Premier League \u2014 in a &#8220;pinch-me&#8221; moment for fans back home.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130317\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 3300;--source-height: 2200\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3300x2200+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F07%2Fa067e6fa4b2088c8be37fbe99d69%2Fap26174684722767.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3300x2200+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F07%2Fa067e6fa4b2088c8be37fbe99d69%2Fap26174684722767.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) challenges for the ball with Uzbekistan's Abdukodir Khusanov (2) during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan in Houston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Portugal&#8217;s Cristiano Ronaldo (7) challenges for the ball with Uzbekistan&#8217;s Abdukodir Khusanov (2) during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan in Houston, June 23.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Eric Gay\/AP<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Eric Gay\/AP<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Imagining that someone from Uzbekistan would be playing in the main squad of that team \u2026 was unbelievable,&#8221; explains Doniyor Umarxodjaev of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/taktika_uz\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Taktika<\/u><\/a>, one of a new crop of Uzbek football bloggers covering the White Wolves&#8217; World Cup run.<\/p>\n<p>Even now, Umarxodjaev says he gets goosebumps thinking about Khusanov&#8217;s rise.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But I can imagine what kind of boost of confidence that gives to younger kids who want to be footballers,&#8221; he adds.<\/p>\n<p>That includes girls and women.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Uzbekistan qualified for the Women&#8217;s Asian Cup for the first time in over two decades. Uzbekistan will even host the event in 2029.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130318\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 4240;--source-height: 2832\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4240x2832+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F93%2F65b4d42f49fb849b5cbfb3bfbbee%2Fdsc00075.JPG\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4240x2832+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F93%2F65b4d42f49fb849b5cbfb3bfbbee%2Fdsc00075.JPG\" class=\"img\" alt=\"TK\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Uzbekistan&#8217;s women&#8217;s national football team scrimmaging in Tashkent.\u00a0 Women&#8217;s soccer has also made strides in recent years amid wider government reforms addressing gender inequality.\u00a0<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Temir Ismailov\/for NPR<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Temir Ismailov\/for NPR<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mokhina Akbarova, a forward on the national under-17 squad, says even with that progress,<em> her <\/em>generation wants more.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We want to see another level,&#8221; says Akbarova, adding her dream is to take her soccer skills to play internationally<strong>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That would have been unlikely just a few years ago \u2014 when laws in this Muslim-majority nation forbade women freedom of travel without permission from husbands or fathers.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Uzbekistan&#8217;s football rise has coincided with President Mirziyoyev implementing reforms \u2014 opening the country up totravel and investmentfollowing years of isolation and dictatorship underformer President Islam Karimov.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130319\" class=\"bucketwrap image x-large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 4240;--source-height: 2832\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4240x2832+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2F7a%2F5f27fde04f6b9348c208eb85fd50%2Fdsc00402.JPG\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4240x2832+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2F7a%2F5f27fde04f6b9348c208eb85fd50%2Fdsc00402.JPG\" class=\"img\" alt=\"TK\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Fans of the Uzbekistan men&#8217;s national soccer team, the White Wolves, gather for a sendoff celebration in May in Tashkent&#8217;s Milliy Stadium ahead of the country&#8217;s first ever World Cup appearance.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Temir Ismailov\/for NPR<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Temir Ismailov\/for NPR<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Those changes foreshadowed <em>a<\/em> wider geopolitical repositioning, as Mirziyoyev&#8217;s &#8220;new Uzbekistan&#8221; and its Central Asian neighbors forged ties beyond Russia, the region&#8217;s traditional ally, to pursue closer relations and trade with China, Europe and the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/us-uzbekistan-sign-critical-minerals-pact-2026-02-18\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>President Trump hosted leaders from all five Central Asian nations<\/u><\/a> \u2014 Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan \u2014 and announced a series of agreements to expand trade in critical minerals, in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Amid all that dealmaking, some argue pro-democratic reforms haven&#8217;t kept pace.<\/p>\n<p>Diora Rafieva, a lawyer and occasional government critic based in Samarkand, says, too often Uzbekistan&#8217;s liberalization exists more on paper than in reality. She argues the government has eagerly promoted Uzbekistan&#8217;s sporting success while ignoring problems with corruption, the judicial system and preserving the country&#8217;s heritage from overeager developers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This sporting success is a kind of image washing,&#8221; explains Rafieva. &#8220;They would say, &#8216;oh the New Uzbekistan.&#8217; Maybe they do live in the new Uzbekistan \u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Her point? Not everyone does. Or wants to.<\/p>\n<p>Yet there&#8217;s no question the country is freer today than it was 10 years ago. And younger Uzbeks, in particular, say the country is going in the right direction, with the White Wolves leading the way.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why I think for next 10 or 20 years, Uzbekistan will change <em>more<\/em>,&#8221; says Farangiz Azamatova, a university student in Tashkent and supporter of the team.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The World Cup qualification itself made us \u2014 the younger generation \u2014 very confident,&#8221; adds Sirojiddin Toxirov, 21, who is studying to be an English-language translator.<\/p>\n<p>He plans to study and perhaps work abroad when he graduates \u2014 aware his Uzbek passport no longer holds him back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can feel the changes,&#8221; adds Toxirov.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/219274468\/uzbekistan\">Uzbekistan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/127559710\/world-cup\">World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStoryg-s1-129705\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"g-s1-129705\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storyg-s1-129705\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"g-s1-129705\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"g-s1-129705\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;NEWS&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;UP FIRST&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR&#039;S UP FIRST NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY DAY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE STORIES YOU NEED TO START YOUR DAY, HAND-PICKED FOR YOU EVERY WEEKDAY. 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