Today, November 3rd, the 2025 U-17 World Cup kicks off in Doha, the capital of Qatar. This competition, known as the Youth World Cup, is a great test and opportunity for future football stars. The Uzbekistan national team will participate in the competition this year as well and will enter the world stage as the champion of Asia, the press service of the UFA reported.
This tournament is also of historical significance for our country - the Uzbekistan U-17 national team is participating in the World Junior Championship for the fourth time. Previously, the team reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup in Mexico and the 2023 World Cup in Indonesia. At the 2013 tournament in the UAE, he stopped in the 1/8 finals.
Our team, led by Islombek Ismoilov, has now qualified for Group J. Our opponents were Paraguay, Ireland, and Panama. Each opponent has their own style, experience, and dangerous players.
PARAGUAY - one of the ready fighters of South America
The Paraguay U-17 team qualified for the competition after finishing 5th in the South American Championship. To date, they have participated in the World Cup five times and reached the quarterfinals twice - in 1999 and 2019. The team is led by experienced coach Mariano Uglessich.
The focused player is team captain Alan Ledesma. He is known for controlling the game in the center of the field, distributing passes, and fighting. At the South American Championships, Paraguay won in two penalty shootouts, in both of which Ledesma played a decisive role with an accurate shot.
PANAMA is a team known for its fast and powerful wing forwards
The Panama national youth team advanced to the competition as the group winner in the CONCACAF U-17 qualifying round. This will be their third participation in the World Cup. The best result was reaching the 1/8 finals in 2011.
The team is managed by Argentinian coach Leonardo Pipinio. The main figure in his system is left-back Estevis Lopez. The young and talented player directly contributed to the team's three goals in the qualifying round. He is known for his speed, powerful shots, and creative play as a player who pesters opponent defenders. He is currently on loan from the Panamanian club Costa del Este to the Argentinian youth team River Plate.
IRELAND - debutant, but with a dangerous lineup
The Irish youth national team is participating in the World Cup for the first time. They qualified for the World Cup by participating in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. The squad mainly consists of players who are gaining experience in leading European clubs.
The team is led by Colin O'Brien. His most brilliant pupil is forward Jaden Umeh. He plays in the academy of the Portuguese club "Benfica" and is regarded by the coaches as a "new hope of football." With his speed, mobility, and goal-scoring ability, he poses a serious threat to any opponent in the group.
Uzbekistan wants to write a new history as the Asian champion
The Uzbekistan national team came to the World Cup in Qatar as the Asian champion. The youth under Islombek Ismailov demonstrate high preparedness not only tactically but also psychologically.
The young White Wolves' first match will be against Paraguay on November 5th. This game can determine the fate of the group. In the following matches, our team will play against Ireland and Panama.
The tournament in Qatar will take place from November 3rd to 27th at the venues of the Espiral academy. The tournament creates a great opportunity for future football stars - and the youth of Uzbekistan intend to leave their mark among them.
And the fans expect not only worthy participation from Ismailov's students, but also a new historic result. This time, the U-17 team of Uzbekistan will be in the center of attention not only of Asia, but also of the whole world.
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