Uzbekistan’s men’s national football team have moved up one place to 54th in the updated FIFA world rankings, marking the highest position among Central Asian nations.
Tajikistan is placed 102nd, Kyrgyzstan 106th, Kazakhstan 118th and Turkmenistan 138th. Uzbekistan’s closest ranking neighbours are Qatar in 53rd and South Africa in 55th.
At the top of the table, Spain lead the way, followed by France, with Argentina completing the top three.
Football outlet Goal.com recently assessed Uzbekistan’s prospects at next year’s FIFA World Cup, ranking them 25th out of 27 likely contenders. The report noted that the team’s chances of progressing beyond the group stage would depend on a strong defensive display led by Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, while captain Eldor Shomurodov adds attacking strength.
According to Goal.com, Spain, Argentina and England remain the favourites to lift the trophy.
