Uzbekistan enters the 2026 World Cup following an outstanding performance in the AFC Qualifiers. The roster is highly competitive, with only one player born on foreign soil.
Many nations in the 2026 World Cup are utilizing players born abroad to compete. In fact, even Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal features several foreign-born players in the tournament, and they are far from the only case in Group K.
Alongside DR Congo, which boasts a roster with 76.92% foreign-born players, Uzbekistan’s squad is almost entirely domestic-born, with only goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov having been born outside the country, in neighboring Kazakhstan.
Who is Utkir Yusupov?
Utkir Yusupov is a 35-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Navbahor in the Uzbekistan Super League. He is the established starting goalkeeper in Fabio Cannavaro’s squad following a rock-solid run throughout the Asian Qualifiers.
𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 🇺🇿
— #AsianCup2027 (@afcasiancup) June 17, 2026
Uzbekistan have arrived at the #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zM9WJ1H8OI
Yusupov was born on January 4, 1991, in the Sayram District of Kazakhstan. Located just north of Uzbekistan, Yusupov moved to the nation he now represents when he was five years old, later officially obtaining his Uzbekistani citizenship in 2017.
The goalkeeper currently commands a market value of $575,000 and has made 45 appearances for Uzbekistan, conceding 33 goals while keeping an impressive 23 clean sheets.
Who are the other goalkeepers in the Uzbekistan national team?
While Yusupov is widely regarded as the undisputed starter, manager Fabio Cannavaro has two other options that perfectly combine youth and experience should the need arise.
Botirali Ergashev and Abduvohid Nematov are the other two goalkeepers named to the tournament roster. Fabio Cannavaro utilized both of them during recent international friendlies, yet Yusupov remains the manager’s primary choice for the position
