World Cup First-Timers Uzbekistan Have 'Nothing to Lose,' Says Coach Cannavaro

Twenty years after lifting the World Cup as Italy's captain, Fabio Cannavaro is back on football's biggest stage, this time as coach of Uzbekistan.

"It's the first time we are going to the World Cup, it's the first time I am coaching in this kind of tournament," Cannavaro told Euronews. "I saw many players with great ambition. They want to learn, improve, work hard and of course we have nothing to lose."

For the Central Asian nation of 36 million, qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a historic breakthrough after decades of near misses.

Uzbekistan faces a tough group: DR Congo, Colombia with James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz, and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. But Cannavaro sees opportunity.

"During the World Cup, you cannot say one is stronger than another because it's the World Cup."

Midfielder Otabek Shukurov echoed that mindset: "We need to put all the pressure aside, go out there, enjoy the game, and show that Uzbekistan is a country with strong football."