Uzbekistan footballers outrun England and Brazil national teams in sprinting
Despite failing to achieve the expected success in terms of result points at their first-ever World Cup, the Uzbekistan national team’s statistical data confirms that our players performed in line with their on-field capabilities. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to reports from the FIFA Match Report Hub analytical center, Uzbekistan players managed to outdistance traditionally strong teams such as England and Brazil in terms of average distance covered during matches. For the Uzbekistan national team under coach Fabio Cannavaro, participation in the WC-2026 was itself a major milestone in the history of national football.
Although the results in the group stage were somewhat disappointing for fans, our team showed determination until the very end in matches against Colombia, Portugal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While our representatives failed to earn any points and also recorded a low goal difference, positive aspects were evident in their physical preparation and on-field activity.
Turning to the numbers, Uzbekistan players covered an average of more than 112 kilometers per match. This figure places our team among the most enduring and hardworking sides at the World Cup.
For comparison, England’s team averaged 108.5 kilometers, while Brazil recorded 106.2 kilometers. Even the Qatar national team fell short with 103.3 kilometers.
These figures indicate that, despite suffering defeats, the Uzbekistan team did not play passively; rather, they aimed to resist opponents through high pressing and relentless movement, rather than relying on passive tactics. The highest overall rating in this regard belongs to the United States national team.
American players ran an average of 118.4 kilometers per match, securing absolute leadership. They were followed by Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Germany—teams known for their physical strength.
For Uzbekistan’s squad of 32 players, finishing 23rd in this metric is not a poor result for a debutant team. These numbers prove that our players fully utilized their physical potential and fought for every minute.
Of course, running alone is not enough to win in football. What matters is the productive efficiency of the distance covered, ball-handling skill, and the correctness of tactical decisions.
However, such a high level of physical preparation will undoubtedly serve as a solid foundation for future matches. Uzbekistan footballers have demonstrated in practice that they can compete physically on equal terms with some of the strongest teams in the world.
According to One.uz, these analyses indicate that the physical readiness of Uzbek football is steadily improving.
