Former Russia international Andrey Arshavin shared an interesting opinion about the Uzbekistan national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He labeled the team, led by Fabio Cannavaro, as the tournament's 'dark horse'.
As is known, the Uzbekistan national team has qualified for the World Cup final stage for the first time in history. This is a monumental event for Uzbek football. Cannavaro's charges will face Portugal, Colombia, and Congo in Group K. The first match will be played against Colombia on June 18.
Arshavin noted that qualifying for the World Cup is already a huge achievement for Uzbekistan. However, under the new format, some third-placed teams in the group stage also have a chance to advance. Therefore, while he does not rank Uzbekistan among the favorites, he sees them as a team capable of producing unexpected results.
"Although Uzbekistan has been drawn into a 'group of death' with Portugal and Colombia, I consider this team the 'dark horse' of the entire tournament. I rate Colombia very highly. I think Congo is not far behind in terms of quality either," said Arshavin.
The former player also mentioned that he recently watched the Uzbekistan national team play in person. According to him, the team left a good impression. He was particularly impressed by Eldor Shomurodov's performance. He described our national team as an attacking side that strives to play on the pitch rather than just parking the bus.
These comments show that international interest in the Uzbekistan national team is growing. Our representatives will participate in the 2026 World Cup as debutants, but opponents no longer view our team as just a simple participant. The squad under Cannavaro features experienced players, young talents, and an attacking style of play.
In short, Andrey Arshavin called Uzbekistan the 'dark horse' of the World Cup. In his opinion, the group is very difficult, but the new format and our team's attacking style could open the door to opportunities. Now everything will be decided on the pitch — being a debutant is one thing, but showing yourself to the whole world is a completely different level.
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