President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during a meeting with youth on June 30, addressed the national football team's debut at the World Cup. He highlighted that the players gained valuable experience by facing Portugal (5th in FIFA rankings), Colombia (13th), and Congo, whose players feature in top European clubs.

“We watched our national team's matches in the USA and Mexico with great excitement, united with all our people. Abbos Fayzullayev and Eldor Shomurodov scored the first goals in World Cup history for our country, bringing joy to our people,” he said.

Commenting on various opinions about the team's performance, the head of state stressed the importance of support rather than blame. “But expressing excessive criticism and seeking fault in our national team members, who defended the honor of our homeland, is not characteristic of our people. On the contrary, today it is more important than ever to support them and boost their morale,” Mirziyoyev stated.

The president noted that major victories lie ahead, and broader conditions for football development and increased investment in the sport will be created. Specifically, attention to children's football will be intensified, and the sport will be turned into a nationwide movement.

According to him, preparations for the Asian Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia in January next year, will begin immediately. “We believe in our team and will support them with all our people in this competition,” the head of state said.

Recall that Uzbekistan's national team participated in the World Cup for the first time in history. In the first match, Uzbekistan lost to Colombia 1-3. The only goal was scored by Abbosbek Fayzullayev — the first goal for the national team in World Cup history. In the second round, the team lost to Portugal 0-5. In the final group stage match, Uzbekistan lost to DR Congo 1-3 and failed to advance to the playoffs, ending their tournament run.

Source: www.gazeta.uz