Cannavaro's choice: what was the reaction from Europe to the new head coach?

The Uzbekistan national team will be trained by Italian specialist Fabio Cannavaro for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The arrival of the 2006 Ballon d'Or winner as head coach of the World Cup debutant is considered an unexpected decision - Fabio, despite being a legendary footballer, has not yet achieved brilliant results in coaching.

Therefore, a new, difficult, but very responsible stage has begun for Cannavaro. The decision is being actively discussed in the world media. In his analysis, journalist Yannik Lankrit from the Belgian website voetbalnieuws.be describes Cannavaro's past and the choice of Uzbekistan as follows: as a footballer, Fabio Cannavaro was at an absolutely high level - he played for such giants as Napoli, Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid, and in 2006 he personally earned the Ballon d'Or, making Italy the world champion.

In his coaching career, however, such a steady flight was not observed: short-term experiences at "Benevento" and "Udineze" in Italy, work in the Middle East and China, and completing work in less than four months at Zagreb's "Dinamo." Nevertheless, the Uzbekistan Football Association expressed confidence in Cannavaro and assigned him the task of preparing the team for the World Cup based on a contract until July 31, 2026.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history. In the decisive qualifying round, the Uzbekistan national team finished second after Iran, surpassing its main pursuers - the UAE and Qatar. The debut of Uzbekistan at the World Cup, which is strengthening its playing style as the leading team of Central Asia, is attracting great interest from both fans and experts.

As Lankrit noted, Uzbek football is developing rapidly. This can be seen in the example of young defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who is shining at "Manchester City." At the same time, Muhammadali O'rinboyev, who has been representing Antwerp in the Belgian Jupiler League since last summer, is also pointing to the potential of the country's football.

In conclusion: Cannavaro's task is clear - to bring the structured potential to a ready state on the World Cup stage through systematic training, proper selection, and balanced tactics. Uzbekistan's historic debut requires high discipline and readiness for a new level of competition from both the specialist and the players. Fans are now eagerly awaiting the team's performances on the big stage.