Cannavaro named Uzbekistan head coach for 2026 World Cup

Fabio Cannavaro has been appointed head coach of Uzbekistan's national team as the country prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026, the Uzbekistan Football Association confirmed Monday. The 52 year old former Italy captain and 2006 World Cup winner will take charge immediately and will lead preparations for the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The football association said it had signed a contract with Cannavaro and announced an all-Italian technical staff to support him. The new coaching team will include Eugenio Albarella as an assistant, with Francesco Troise as fitness coach and Antonio Chimenti as goalkeeping coach. Cannavaro replaces Timur Kapadze, who guided Uzbekistan to qualification after taking charge midway through the campaign.

Uzbekistan secured their spot at the expanded 48-team World Cup in June, finishing second in Group A of the Asian qualifiers with 21 points from 10 matches. The team lost only once in the final round and conceded relatively few goals across the campaign. Key players expected to figure under Cannavaro include Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov and Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov.