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World Cup 2026

World Cup: Uzbek Referee Under Scrutiny After France-Paraguay Game

Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev has come under heavy criticism over a rough FIFA World Cup match between France and Paraguay, in which the South American side went for an especially physical approach. France won Saturday’s knockout game 1-0 on a penalty kick by Kylian Mbappé, but much of the post-match debate centered on whether Tantashev had lost control of a situation on the field that was often combative. While he handed out several yellow cards to France, the Paraguayan players didn’t get any during the game while engaging in physical confrontations that critics said should have been punished. Video showed Mbappé getting pushed and shoved so much at one point that he was laughing it off. He later said, “We knew what kind of match it was going to be. We can also get our hands dirty.” While French media condemned the conduct by the Paraguayan players, Paraguayan media were supportive of their team’s efforts, which included a dogged defense. In a blog post for Brazil’s Globo Esporte, analyst Rodrigo Coutinho focused on the offense, defense and other tactical aspects of the match, while acknowledging Paraguay’s attempts to get under the skin of Les Bleus. At various points, the Paraguayans also sought to provoke the French players. Shoves during set pieces, needless complaints and the French players' growing frustration were all part of the first half,” Coutinho said. Many veteran analysts and online commentators questioned whether Tantashev had done enough to control the match. “Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev with an extraordinary performance,” tweeted football journalist Colin Millar. “No interest in refereeing, no interest in applying the laws of the game, no interest in player welfare or well-being. A FIFA-listed referee for 13 years! France very fortunate to avoid serious injuries.” In an Asian Football Confederation video that was posted before the World Cup, Tantashev said he was “happy” to have been selected as a referee for the global event. He said he had been a referee for 20 years and to receive the selection letter in April was “a big gift for me.”

World Cup 2026

World Cup: Ronaldo Makes History as Portugal Rout Uzbekistan 5-0

The Group K match between Uzbekistan and Portugal in Houston turned into a record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo, as the European side coasted to a 5-0 victory. Portugal and Uzbekistan had both made unconvincing starts to the tournament. Uzbekistan, playing at the World Cup finals for the first time, lost 3-1 to Colombia. Portugal, meanwhile, dominated their match against DR Congo but failed to hold on to their lead and drew 1-1. They were in no mood to drop more points against the World Cup debutants. Before the match, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez made it clear that he did not regard his team’s opening result as a setback. “After the draw with DR Congo, nothing changed for us: there are three matches in the group stage, and the first one is part of the process,” the Portugal coach said. Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro, for his part, said his players would try to minimize the mistakes that led to their defeat against Colombia. “Our only way to achieve a positive result is through tactics, discipline, and hard work on the pitch,” Cannavaro said. In practice, however, Cannavaro’s tactics did not work, and it was a case of “Houston, we have a problem” as Portugal pinned their opponents back from the kick-off. It took only six minutes for Ronaldo to score the first goal against Uzbekistan, finishing a cross into the penalty area. With that goal, Ronaldo became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored his final World Cup goal at the age of 42. The Portugal captain, 41, became the first player to score at six World Cups and moved past Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup scorer. Ten minutes later, Portugal doubled their lead with a cleverly worked free kick. At first, it looked as though Ronaldo was taking an age to prepare to shoot, but Nuno Mendes instead struck the ball, catching Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov by surprise. After that, Uzbekistan became slightly more active in attack. Midway through the first half, Azizjon Ganiev tried his luck from long range, sending the ball into the top corner of Portugal’s goal. But Uzbekistan’s celebrations did not last long: after a VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal for a foul by Abbosbek Fayzullaev on João Cancelo in the build-up. Portugal then quickly took the game beyond Uzbekistan’s reach, and near the end of the first half Bruno Fernandes delivered a precise pass to Ronaldo, who was left unmarked in the penalty area and calmly shot into the bottom corner. Portugal eased the pace slightly in the second half but still managed to score twice more. Portugal’s fourth came on the hour, when a Bruno Fernandes corner was diverted in for an Abduvohid Nematov own goal. Late in the match, substitute Rafael Leao picked up a loose ball near the edge of the penalty area and, without hesitation, struck a powerful and accurate shot into the top corner to make it 5-0....

Football

Central Asian Football Stays Active as Uzbekistan Prepares for World Cup

Uzbekistan’s football team takes to the global stage on June 17 in Mexico City, when it faces Colombia in its first round-robin match of the World Cup. Other countries in Central Asia that didn’t qualify for the event aren’t just cheering from afar; they’re training and competing in hopes of one day achieving the same goal. On Tuesday, Tajikistan held India to a 1-1 draw after a late penalty score by Sheriddin Boboev in a friendly match at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan. The draw followed a 3-1 win for Tajikistan over India in Tursunzoda four days earlier. “While India bravely defended wave after wave of Tajik attacks, they conceded the equalizer in a rather unwanted manner — via a penalty resulting from a handball,” the All India Football Federation said. The stadium filled up with more than 9,000 spectators, some waving Tajikistan’s national flag. The Football Federation of Tajikistan thanked fans for their support and congratulated team captain Akhtam Nazarov on his 100th match for the national team. Tajikistan’s coach, Igor Angelovski of Macedonia, said the two games against India showed “there were many positive aspects to these matches, but they also revealed certain weaknesses that we need to work on.” The team aims to be “fully prepared” for the Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia in early 2027, said Angelovski, who recently replaced Serbian coach Goran Stevanovic. Also on Tuesday, Kazakhstan’s national team lost 1-3 to Hungary after taking the early lead when Sergey Malyy scored off Maksim Samorodov's corner kick. Hungary equalized and then surged ahead in the second half, benefiting from a red card for Samorodov. The Kazakhstan forward was sent off, leaving his team a player down in the friendly, which was held in the Hungarian city of Debrecen. In an alarming episode, play was briefly delayed during the match when a television camera suspended on wires crashed onto the field and workers cleared away the debris. The equipment fell close to a cameraman on the ground, but there were no injuries. Uzbekistan’s performance in the World Cup will be cheered on by many people in Central Asia. They feel a sense of solidarity with the White Wolves, who also face Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in group K. Those regional fans include Ruslan Mingazov, a midfielder for the Turkmenistan national team. “Uzbekistan are our brothers, neighbors, and we are happy for them,” Mingazov said in an interview with the Turkmenportal outlet. He said he also hopes Czechia does well because he played there for a long time and knows many of the players on the national team. Brazil, Portugal, and France are the favorites, while Morocco, Egypt, Norway, and Japan are among teams that could deliver surprises at the tournament, according to Mingazov. The World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with an expanded 48-team roster. It opens on Thursday when host Mexico takes on South Africa in Mexico City.

Football

Tajikistan Didn´t Qualify for World Cup, But Its Young Players Are Winning

Uzbekistan have qualified for this year's FIFA World Cup, while Tajikistan didn’t make it to the tournament. But their fortunes were reversed in a Central Asian junior event, suggesting that Tajik football is poised for a brighter future. Coached by Jafar Akhmedov, Tajikistan’s team won the Central Asian Football Association U17 championship on Monday, securing the title with a 0-0 draw with second-placed Uzbekistan in Tashkent. Tajikistan was top of the field with 10 points, while Uzbekistan had eight. Previously, Tajikistan’s team beat Turkmenistan (5-1), Kyrgyzstan (4-0) and Afghanistan (3-2). Two players on the Tajik team were recognized individually by the tournament. Bihisti Rajabzod was awarded the prize of most valuable player, or MVP, and the top scorer was Sioyosh Nazarov with four goals. The headquarters of the Central Asia Football Association, a sub-group of the Asian Football Confederation, is in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Its six members are Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan has been a member of the Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, since 2002. Uzbekistan will compete in the World Cup for the first time this year and faces Colombia, Portugal and Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K. Uzbekistan’s team is led by coach Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy’s winning team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Tajikistan turned in some solid performances in World Cup qualifying games, including a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia and a 3-0 win over Pakistan. Although Tajikistan didn’t manage to qualify for this year’s expanded tournament, it has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next year.

Sports

Khusanov Named Manchester City’s Player of the Month for March

Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov has been named Manchester City’s Player of the Month for March, the club announced. In a statement, Manchester City said the 21-year-old “beat the challenges of team-mates Rodri and Jérémy Doku to overwhelmingly win the public vote,” highlighting his strong performances throughout the month. “Khusanov was outstanding during March and has become a firm favourite with the City fans for his committed, all-action defensive style,” the club added. This marks Khusanov’s third monthly award, after also receiving the honor in January. Last year, he made history by being named the club’s Etihad Player of the Month for February, just six weeks after joining. At the time, the club praised his composure and tactical discipline, particularly his decision-making under pressure across multiple appearances. Khusanov’s rapid rise has been one of the standout stories in Uzbek football in recent years. Earlier, he was named Asia’s Best Young Footballer of 2025 by Goalpost, reflecting his growing reputation on the international stage. The defender made history in January as the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the English Premier League. Since then, he has gradually secured more playing time, making several appearances for one of Europe’s top clubs this season. His performances have also drawn wider recognition. Analysts from The Athletic recently included Khusanov in a list of the world’s most underrated footballers, noting that while his debut against Chelsea was difficult, he has since shown clear improvement and strong defensive qualities.

Football

Uzbekistan´s Footballers Prep for World Cup with Friendlies at Home

Uzbekistan's national football team will play friendly matches against Gabon and Venezuela in the coming days as part of its preparation for this year’s FIFA World Cup. First up for Uzbekistan is Gabon on Friday at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, followed by a matchup with Venezuela on Monday, March 30 at the same location. Trinidad and Tobago is also participating in the round of friendly matches, and will face Venezuela and Gabon at Pakhtakor Stadium, which is also in the Uzbek capital. Uzbekistan will compete in the World Cup for the first time and faces some tough contenders in the four-member group K. Its first match is against Colombia in Mexico City on June 17. The Uzbek national team then heads to the United States to play Portugal in Houston on June 23. The fourth member of group K is yet to be determined, pending the outcome of play-off matches. Uzbekistan will play that final group match in Atlanta on June 27. Uzbekistan’s team is led by coach Fabio Cannavaro, a former defender who was captain of Italy’s winning team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.