Uzbekistan: The World Cup’s nearly men no more

Uzbekistan are on the cusp of making their long-awaited World Cup bow.

With former Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro at the helm, the former Soviet republic is about to become the first Central Asian country and the first double-landlocked nation to take part in the greatest show on earth.

But what else do you need to know about the White Wolves before they have even kicked a ball in North America?

In the final episode of our four-part series on the 2026 World Cup debutants, it is all about Uzbekistan, who have shed their decades-long nearly-men tag and arguably boast the best chances of any of the newcomers to the competition.

Plus, DR Congo’s preparations are disrupted by the Ebola outbreak and Bosnia bring the largest coffee pot on the planet to North America.

Join our Curaçao v Germany watch-along on Sunday 14 June at 6pm UK time here.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:45 – The coach: Cannavaro’s playing pedigree

04:00 – The players: Khusanov the star man

08:45 – Qualifying: Nearly men no more

11:09 – Group: Portugal, Colombia & DR Congo

13:16 – DR Congo: Ebola outbreak at home

16:44 – Bosnia: The world’s largest coffee pot