Cannavaro Before Uzbekistan's Debut: I Told the Players to Enjoy the Moment

Uzbekistan's head coach, Fabio Cannavaro, has declared that his team has nothing to lose as they prepare for their World Cup debut against Colombia. He urged his players to savor what he called the biggest moment in the nation's football history. The match is scheduled for Thursday morning at 5:00 AM Bulgarian time.

World Cup matches are broadcast live on bnt.sportal.bg. The platform will stream all 104 games from the 2026 World Cup schedule in real-time.

The former defender revealed he's drawn on his own memories of captaining Italy to the 2006 World Cup title to help his squad manage the emotions and pressure of their first appearance on football's grandest stage.

"I'm trying to help them relieve the pressure," Cannavaro told reporters, as quoted by BTA.

"It's tough on the world stage. I'm trying to explain to them to enjoy it because it's their first time, and we have nothing to lose. But that doesn't mean we're just going to enjoy the moment. We know we have to fight."

The 2006 Ballon d'Or winner shared that he's spoken to the team about the experience of arriving at a World Cup and the importance of appreciating a moment many will remember for the rest of their careers. "I tried to share my experience with them," Cannavaro said. "I tried to share my first day at the World Cup with them because this is something they will remember. So I told them to really enjoy it, to appreciate everything since we arrived here in Mexico."

Cannavaro stated that Uzbekistan, who are also set to face Portugal and DR Congo in Group K, aims to showcase their identity and compete on equal terms with their opponents.

"We want to show people our culture, our philosophy. It's true that we are here for the first time, and of course, we want to show people our mentality," he said.

A key figure will be center-back Abdukodir Khusanov, who is expected to play a central role in Cannavaro's defensive strategy.

"He knows how to control the situation, he knows how to control the pressure," Cannavaro commented. "The boys are like a family behind him; he can play in any position."

Khusanov's rise at Manchester City reflects the growing presence of Uzbek football at the highest level of European football.

"In the future, we will see more Uzbek players in Europe, I'm sure of that," Cannavaro said, adding that one of the reasons he accepted the coaching job was the progress made by the country's federation, highlighting investments in academies and facilities.

Uzbekistan's first World Cup match will be played at the legendary Azteca Stadium, and Cannavaro is eagerly anticipating the atmosphere. "You get goosebumps when you enter that stadium. Maradona and Pelé made history here; it's a true dream for us," he added.