Gianni Infantino arrived in Uzbekistan: FIFA delegation to review important projects

An important event in Uzbek football has begun. A delegation led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino is visiting Uzbekistan on an official visit on September 29–30.

The visit by the FIFA leadership is expected to become an important platform for dialogue where issues of new projects, infrastructure, and the support of young talents in the country's football will be discussed.

Who welcomed Infantino in Uzbekistan?

The FIFA delegation was welcomed by Uzbekistan's Minister of Sports Adham Ikramov and the First Vice-President of the Uzbekistan Football Association Ravshan Irmatov.

The visit program includes familiarization with a number of projects and facilities aimed at further popularizing football in the country, developing sports infrastructure, and strengthening international cooperation.

Cooperation with FIFA is of great importance in shaping new directions for Uzbek football. Earlier, a meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gianni Infantino also discussed issues of improving the football management system, identifying young talents, and training coaches, referees, managers, and other specialists at the international level.

Main focus — young players

One of the important directions within the framework of the visit to Uzbekistan is supporting young talents.

Special attention is being paid to the early identification of gifted children in the country's football, creating quality training conditions for them, and bringing them into professional football.

Infrastructure is also of decisive importance in this regard. It has also been officially noted that, with FIFA's technical support, a modern National Football Center has been established in Uzbekistan, which includes a situation center introducing innovative solutions for digital football.

Uzbekistan football at a new stage

The FIFA President's visit takes place following a major milestone in the history of the Uzbekistan national team.

In 2026, the Uzbekistan national team qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted this achievement as a milestone event in the history of the country's football.

Now, one of the main tasks is to consolidate this achievement with systematic development.

Alongside achievements at the national team level, the development of children's and youth football, academies, coach training, refereeing, football infrastructure, and the management system remains among the pressing issues.

Cooperation with FIFA in Uzbekistan is expanding

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and FIFA has covered several areas in recent years.

In particular, discussions have been held on expanding opportunities for hosting major FIFA tournaments in the country, developing modern infrastructure, and training football specialists.

In 2025, the final of the CAFA Nations Cup was held in Uzbekistan, which was also attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

It was also officially announced that an agreement was reached to open a FIFA regional office for Central Asian countries in Tashkent.

What changes are expected after the visit?

The meetings held on September 29–30 will provide an opportunity to discuss several important issues for Uzbek football.

The designated main directions are:

• further development of football infrastructure;

• supporting young talents;

• training coaches and football specialists;

• further popularizing football across the country;

• expanding international cooperation with FIFA.

The qualification of the Uzbekistan national team for the World Cup brings even greater attention to this process.

In this regard, the upcoming visit of FIFA President Gianni Infantino appears not just as a routine official trip, but as an important visit where the next stage of Uzbek football — further strengthening infrastructure, youth development, and international cooperation — will be discussed.