UZBEKISTAN

The first Uzbek player in history to play in the English Premier League and France’s Ligue 1. Khusanov's father, Hikmat Khoshimov, also played for the national team at centre-back. At the age of 17 Khusanov signed for Energetik-BGU in Belarus, where he spent one difficult year. "In Belarus, I suffered being away from my parents,” he said. “Often there were training sessions three times a day. If there was heavy snow in winter, we would clear the field ourselves and then train." Khusanov’s career was transformed in 2023: he became an Asian champion as part of Uzbekistan’s Under-20 team in March, participated in the Under-20 World Cup in May, made his debut for the senior team in June, moved to Lens in July and became the youngest Uzbek player to appear in the Champions League in November. In January 2025 Khusanov moved to Manchester City. "This is one of the best transfers in the history of the club. He does not shy away from learning, takes training seriously and works with all his might. In short, Abdukodir is a very reliable player," said Pep Guardiola.

At the age of 22 Fayzullaev already has two Uzbek player of the year awards, having made his league debut aged just 17. As a child he moved from his family home in Syrdarya to Tashkent to join the Pakhtakor academy, where his uncle took him in and raised him as his own. His uncle died in 2021, the year Fayzullaev made his first-team debut, and the player still celebrates goals with a finger pointed to the heavens in tribute. "Every time I go onto the pitch I look at the stands, hoping that my uncle will come, but unfortunately that is no longer possible," he has said. Fayzullaev's wonderful free-kick against Syria at the 2023 Under-20 Asian Cup made him much more widely known in Uzbekistan and elsewhere, and in August of that year he moved to CSKA Moscow. “Many in Uzbekistan said: ‘He won’t be able to do it there, he’ll be back soon,’” he said. “Even some coaches expressed the same opinion. That gave me more motivation. I think I’ve proven myself.” Across two years in Russia he won the national cup and the super cup, and in Istanbul Basaksehir made him the most expensive player in their history.