FIFA Series 2026 Mini-Tournament Begins in Tashkent
From the end of the sixth month to the fifth month, the capital city will turn into a real celebration for football fans. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
A new format FIFA Series 2026 mini-tournament will begin in Tashkent. Alongside the Uzbekistan national team, the teams of Venezuela, Gabon, and Trinidad and Tobago will participate in this exciting competition.
Each team will take the field to test their strength and achieve victories. According to the special format approved by FIFA, the tournament will be held in a group stage.
However, unlike traditional tournaments, each team will play only two matches. Therefore, the importance of each match increases, and the possibility of making mistakes is almost zero.
In the first match, our national team will take the field against Gabon at the Bunyodkor Stadium. On the same day, a heated match between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago will take place at the Pakhtakor arena.
At the end of the tournament, the Uzbekistan national team will face Venezuela, while Gabon and Trinidad and Tobago will clash in the other pairing. This competition is not just a friendly match for our team but one of the final serious preparation stages before next year's World Cup.
The geography of the opponents was also chosen deliberately. Matches against representatives from South America, Africa, and CONCACAF will help players adapt to different styles they may encounter at the upcoming World Cup.
Our team is currently ranked forty-second in the FIFA rankings. According to Transfermarkt, the total value of the squad is seventy-eight million euros.
However, important players like Abbos Fayzullaev and Jaloliddin Masharipov will not participate in this gathering due to injuries. At the same time, after a long break, striker Sherzod Temirov has been called back to the national team.
Manchester City's defender Abduqodir Husanov is considered our team's most valuable player. His transfer value is around thirty-five million euros, and Eldor Shomurodov remains one of the key figures of the team.
Our first opponent, the Gabon national team, is the African representative, currently ranked eighty-sixth in the FIFA rankings. The team has recently been going through a difficult period.
After an unsuccessful participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, the head coach resigned, and leading players were excluded from the squad. Most importantly, the team's star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not come to Tashkent this time.
In the Gabon squad, more opportunities are expected to be given to young and inexperienced players. Their play is mainly based on counterattacks and individual actions.
However, the team has problems with stability and psychological resilience. Venezuela is considered a much more serious opponent.
The team is ranked fiftieth in the FIFA rankings, with a squad value of over seventy million euros. They stand out for their fast counterattacks, wing play, and danger in set pieces.
One of the team's key figures is the experienced striker Salomon Rondon. Also, players like Jon Aramburu and Jefferson Savar hold important roles for the team.
