"They are World Cup participants": Denis Popov assesses the strength of the Uzbekistan national team

Former CSKA Moscow striker Denis Popov, in an interview with the "Euro-Football" online publication, shared his thoughts on the upcoming friendly match between the national teams of Uzbekistan and Russia, set to take place in Tashkent in November.

The well-known former football player touched upon the current level, potential, and specific aspects of the upcoming match regarding the "White Wolves," who are participants in the 2026 World Cup.

"You don't accidentally reach the World Cup": Assessing Uzbekistan's potential

Denis Popov noted that while it is difficult to directly compare the Uzbekistan national team with teams like Iran or Nigeria, their status must be respected:

• The Mundial factor: "It's not easy to compare them directly. But the main point is that this team qualified for the World Cup held in the USA. That alone proves that Uzbekistan possesses a certain high level of strength, especially considering they will be playing on home turf;";

• Qualifying skill: They successfully passed the qualifying stages under the current system conditions. It is impossible to accidentally qualify for the World Cup; this is the result of serious labor and stable play," the former striker said.

"Leaders might not come": Regarding the status of the match

At the same time, the Russian specialist also noted that the friendly status of the match could affect the squad composition and the intensity of the game:

• Squad prediction: "It should not be forgotten that this is a friendly, non-official match. It is still unknown whether the strongest squad of the Uzbekistan national team will take the field. In all likelihood, the leading players themselves might not even come;";

• Main focus: Personally, for me, the performance of our own national team and how our players present themselves on the pitch is more important," Popov added.

Second clash in Tashkent

• Date: November 12;

• Venue: Tashkent city, "Pakhtakor" central stadium;

• Head-to-head history: The two national teams have met once before. In 2022, the friendly match in Tashkent ended in a goalless draw (0:0).

This time's clash will serve as an important test for both sides to re-evaluate their capabilities.