Uzbekistan will make its debut on the world’s biggest soccer stage at the 2026 World Cup. With Fabio Cannavaro—the 2006 Ballon d’Or winner and the only one among all 48 World Cup coaches—the team has a coach of exceptional prestige. The World Cup debut is already historic.

Coach Fabio Cannavaro has named three goalkeepers for the White Wolves: O'tkir Yusupov, Botirali Ergashev, and Abduvohid Nematov. Uzbekistan is participating in a World Cup for the very first time—one of four World Cup debutants in 2026 alongside Cape Verde, Jordan, and Curaçao. Group K features Portugal, Colombia, and the DR Congo. The trio of goalkeepers consists entirely of players who have developed their careers in the Central Asian league—two of whom have international experience in Iran and Greece.

Yusupov is 35 years old and Cannabaro’s undisputed first choice. With 44 international appearances since his debut in 2018, he is the most experienced goalkeeper on the entire Uzbek World Cup squad. His entire career has been spent in Central Asia: Mash'al Muborak, Nasaf, Neftchi Fergana, Kokand 1912, five years with Navbahor Namangan, until he moved to Foolad FC in Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League in July 2024 to gain international experience. He returned to Navbahor in January 2026. Yusupov was Uzbekistan’s starting goalkeeper in two AFC Asian Cup tournaments (2019 and 2023) and remained the number one choice throughout the entire qualifying campaign. He embodies the foundation upon which Cannavaro is building this historic World Cup campaign.

Ergashev is 30 years old and stands 192 cm tall, making him the most physically imposing goalkeeper of the trio. He came up through the Pakhtakor Academy in Tashkent before making his way via Navbahor, Neftchi Fergana, Dinamo Samarkand, Kokand 1912, and four seasons with AGMK to his current club, Neftchi Fergana, where he has been the starting goalkeeper since January 2024. He made his debut for the national team in May 2019 in a friendly against Iran. In recent years, he has consistently been part of the national team squads as a backup, without making regular appearances. With his physicality and extensive experience in the domestic league, he is Cannabaro’s second option.

Nematov is 25 years old and the most talked-about goalkeeper in the trio, not because of his role in the World Cup, but because of his potential. He has spent his entire career at Nasaf Qarshi, where he started in the youth academy and worked his way up to become the starting goalkeeper. On the international stage, he was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, where Uzbekistan finished as runners-up. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he started in three matches. With a market value of 1.5 million euros, he is the most valuable player in the entire Uzbek Super League and, at the same time, the goalkeeper on whom the future of the national team depends. At the 2026 World Cup, he is currently the third-choice goalkeeper, but likely not for long.