‘Nearly men of Asian football’ – Uzbekistan’s rise to the World Cup

Manchester City signed Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January 2025 from Lens for a fee worth £34m.

A relatively unknown 20-year-old at the time, Khusanov’s stature in the City side and in the Premier League means he is already the face of Uzbekistani football.

But paving the way for Khusanov, now 21, was Server Djeparov – the only Uzbek to be crowned Asian footballer of the year. He did this not once, but twice.

Recognised by his famous mullet, Djeparov had trials at Chelsea and was a part of the Uzbekistan side that missed out on the World Cup three times.

But now, there is a new hero in Khusanov and Bowers compares the impact in his home nation to that of David Beckham in England in the early 2000s.

He said: “Khusanov’s rise from Minsk to Manchester has been incredible and his impact on Uzbek football relative to his age and experience is difficult to measure.

“Uzbekistan has had players play for big historical European clubs like Roma and Dynamo Kyiv, but Khusanov’s move in the age of social media and the reach of English football globally has seen Khusanov become similar to how David Beckham was back in the early 2000s, being who kids want to be and the face of the national team.

“It’s too early to measure his impact on kids playing football, but the longer he spends at a club like City, the bigger it will undoubtedly be.

“We have already seen players get trials or join prominent European sides, or be expected to join soon, in very good level leagues in Belgium and Portugal, so the impact is perhaps already being felt.”

Uzbekistan forward Jaloliddin Masharipov told BBC World Service about Khusanov’s stardom in his home country: “He’s the first guy in the Premier League in Uzbekistan.

“All the fans love him now but fans love all the players here who play national team. Every time you go outside, go to a restaurant, people come for a picture.

“You go to a restaurant, you don’t pay. Respect, like this here.”