The midfielder for the Uzbekistan national team and Istanbul Basaksehir club recently discussed his path to the team, competition, and preparations for the 2026 World Cup in an interview. He emphasized that in football, one must fight for their place from an early age: "I came to the national team as one of the youngest. But you have to be ready for competition. In football, a spot is never guaranteed. If you're in good form, the coach will put you in. If not—no one will take the risk because the responsibility is too great."

The player explained his reasons for transferring from Russia's CSKA to Turkey: "At CSKA, we won trophies, I was satisfied. But a new coach came and changed my position. I stopped progressing. I had one year left on my contract, I wanted to play in European competitions, I was looking for a springboard to a top-5 league. Due to the political situation, leaving Russia for a stronger league was impossible. In Turkey, there are no such barriers. Now I'm satisfied. My relationship with Nuri Sahin is good, I have playing time."

He shared his ambitions in Europe: "My dream is to play for Barcelona. But realistically—I'd like to move to a club in Spain, even from the middle of the table, to get playing practice. If money were the priority, I could have gone to Saudi Arabia—that option was available. But I want to play in a top-5 league."

On qualifying for the World Cup, the player expressed his emotions: "The path wasn't easy. In Abu Dhabi, after the final whistle, my whole life flashed before my eyes. A weight lifted off my shoulders. My father and brother were at the stadium. I'm not a teary person, but then I couldn't hold back tears of joy."

Regarding goals for the 2026 World Cup, the player offered a realistic perspective: "Dreams are one thing, but realistically... No one goes to the World Cup to lose. You have to want the maximum. If we get out of the group, I think no one will be dissatisfied. Colombia and Portugal are strong opponents, but in football, anything is possible. If all the key players are healthy, we can get out of the group. And that wouldn't surprise anyone."

Source: kun.uz