Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A solemn welcoming ceremony was held at the Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport for the Uzbekistan national football team, which returned home from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The event was attended by Abdulla Aripov, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Otabek Umarov, the First Deputy Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, as well as representatives of the government, the sports community, and the media.
This tournament marked the first time in the country's history that the Uzbekistan national team competed in the final stage of the FIFA World Cup.
During the group stage of the tournament, the Uzbek team played three matches. In their opening match, they lost to Colombia with a score of 1-3, followed by a 0-5 defeat against Portugal. In their final match of the group stage, the team suffered a 1-3 loss to DR Congo.
Despite concluding its campaign after the group stage, this participation marked the first appearance of the Uzbekistan national team at a World Cup and stands as an important milestone in the development of domestic football.
