Rise of the White Wolves — A tale Uzbekistan and its journey to FIFA World Cup 2026

On June 5, a celebratory mood reverberated across a landlocked country of merely 3.57 crore people.

A nation plagued by several vices — a lack of human rights, environmental degradation, and economic vulnerabilities — united to celebrate a historic moment.

As the referee blew the full-time whistle at the Al Nahyan stadium in Abu Dhabi, roughly 4000 kilometres away, the people of Uzbekistan witnessed their men’s football team qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

A goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates was enough for the Uzbeks to secure a ticket for the 2026 World Cup, which the USA, Canada, and Mexico will co-host. Never before would the nation have celebrated a goalless draw like it did on that fabled night.

Uzbekistan’s rise as a football nation has all the ingredients that would make popular filmmaker Asif Kapadia rush to write his next sports documentary or give Amazon Prime Video the perfect topic for their next ‘All or Nothing” series.

Glass ceiling broken: Uzbekistan fans cheer after their team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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REUTERS

However, all these celebrations surrounding World Cup qualification would be laced with a fair amount of pain and bitterness, making the Uzbeks reminisce about a tragic incident that looms over their nation, where the beautiful game was first played over a century ago.

Rising from the ashes – from Asia to the World

In August 1979, the mighty Uzbek team Pakhtakor was back in the Soviet Top League and was en route to play Dinamo Minsk.

As the aircraft was over the city of Dniprodzerzhynsk (now Kamianske, modern-day Ukraine), it suffered a mid-air collision, killing all 178 people inside the two aircraft, including 17 players and staff members of Pakhtakor.

Such a tragedy could have sounded the death knell for Uzbekistan’s future as a footballing nation. However, it rose from the ashes and poured in vast resources to resuscitate the spirit of a devastated country.

State-of-the-art youth facilities have been built across the country to improve football at the grassroots level.

Since that tragedy, Uzbekistan has reached the U-17 World Cup quarterfinals, made it to the last 16 at the previous U-20 World Cup, and its Olympic team participated in Paris last year.

The senior team has also qualified for every Asian Cup since 1996 and progressed to the knockout phase in each appearance since 2004, including a semifinal run in 2011.

Surrounded by heavyweight countries such as Russia and China PR, Uzbekistan has forged its destiny that would see it play at the biggest stage football has to offer.

Dominance in Asia: The senior team has also qualified for every Asian Cup since 1996 and progressed to the knockout phase in each appearance since 2004, including a semifinal run in 2011. 
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AP

At the World Cup, it will also carry the honour of being the first Central Asian team to have qualified for the World Cup.

Rise of the wolves; fall of the Tigers

If one looks at this ascendency from the perspective of Indian football, the Blue Tigers have a lot to take from Uzbekistan’s systematic approach and long-term vision that has taken it to new heights.

In August 2018, both teams were just within the top 100 of the FIFA rankings, with Uzbekistan at 95th and India ranked 96th. However, from there, both teams took different routes. While India plummeted in the rankings, the Uzbeks climbed the ladder. Currently, it is ranked 57th, while India, currently ranked 127th, never broke into the top 100 after 2018.

The two teams clashed for the first time in the 1987 Nehru Gold Cup, which finished in a 2-2 draw.

Since then, both teams have faced each other seven times, with their last meeting coming in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, where Uzbekistan registered a thumping 3-0 win against India in the group stages.

The Blue Tigers failed to make it to the knockouts, while the Uzbeks reached the quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion Qatar.

Gulf in class: In August 2018, Uzbekistan (in white) was ranked 95th and India (in blue), 96th. Nearly seven years later, Uzbeks are 57th while India is 127th and expected to fall lower.
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Getty Images

Overall, Uzbekistan has the advantage over India in head-to-head clashes. Out of the seven matches, the Uzbeks have won five, while two matches have ended in a draw.

As Uzbekistan gears up for the World Cup next year, India has yet to win a competitive match since November 16, 2023, when it defeated Kuwait 1-0 in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.

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If friendlies are taken into account, India has won just one match out of the 16 it has played since the win against Kuwait.

Mission 2026

Odil Ahmedov, Ignatiy Nesterov, Maxim Shatskikh, Server Djeparov and many other icons of Uzbekistan football failed to achieve what the current generation has – qualify for a World Cup.

Another legendary Uzbek player, Timur Kapadze, didn’t have the honour of representing his country on the pitch at the World Cup during his international career, which spanned from 2002-2015 (also when Uzbekistan reached its highest-ever ranking of 45).

Cut to 2025, Kapadze, now head coach of the Uzbekistan men’s national team, was on the sidelines as he watched his country make history.

“We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result, I sincerely congratulate our people,” Kapadze told Uzbekistan’s online publication Zamin after qualifying.

Success in the second innings: Timur Kapadze, who couldn’t represent Uzbekistan at the World Cup during his playing days, will do so now as the head coach of the men’s national team.
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REUTERS

“This is not only our victory but the victory of our entire people. Our players showed determination in every match, worked with all their might, and we achieved the result,” added Kapadze, who also received a congratulatory telephone call from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

During his time, Kapadze has played with many talented players on the pitch. Now, he has to operate off it and has a difficult job of nurturing a young and talented generation, which can become a fairytale story on the grand stage next year.

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Twenty-one-year-old Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov, CSKA Moscow winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev (20), Torpedo Moscow midfielder Khojimat Erkinov (24) and the domestic-based trio of Zafarmurod Abdurakhmatov (20), Diyor Kholmatov (21), and Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev (22) are some of the talented youngsters the White Wolves have at their disposal.

Trailblazer: Abdukodir Khusanov (right) became the first player from Uzbekistan and Central Asia to play in the Premier League last season.
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Getty Images

Kapade also has the luxury of balancing youth with experience, with players such as Esteghlal winger Jaloliddin Masharipov (31), captain Eldor Shomurodov (29-year-old Roma forward) and the 30-year-old Azizbek Turgunboev who plies his trade for Süper Lig club Sivasspor.

Against expectations

The World Cup has historical proof of ‘underdog excellence’ — Morocco in 2025, Costa Rica in 2014 and Cameroon in 1990. Whether Uzbekistan manages to enter that category next year remains to be seen.

There were major arguments for and against FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to a 48-team affair from 36.

While the footballing body justified its decision, saying more teams would get the exposure of playing at the biggest stage, many argued that it would dilute the competitiveness of qualifying for football’s premium tournament.

Uzbekistan is a major beneficiary of this expansion, which will see eight Asian teams play in the finals next year.

History-makers: Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev felicitates the men’s national contingent for securing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

Its previous coach, Srecko Katanec, disagreed with FIFA’s decision – “If you are good, you will qualify. If you are not good, then you look for chances like this, increasing the teams,” the Slovenian told Reuters last November.

The reality, however, is that Uzbekistan has defied the odds to qualify for the World Cup, and a simple rule change should not be a metric to judge its historic achievement.

The World Cup is fast approaching. Will the White Wolves be able to hunt efficiently in a pack? Only time will tell.