UDINE, ITALY – MAY 19: Fabio Cannavaro manager of Udinese Calcio looks on during the Serie A TIM match between Udinese Calcio and Empoli FC at Dacia Arena on May 19, 2024 in Udine, Italy.(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro will be at the 2026 World Cup as coach of Uzbekistan. ‘I like to broaden my horizons, I don’t want to stick to the usual ideas and concepts. The Uzbek people are fighters at heart.’
The Azzurri are trying to get into their first edition of this tournament since 2014, and are preparing for the play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland on Thursday.
Meanwhile, one of their 2006 World Cup winners will be there as coach of a different nation, as Cannavaro was hired by Uzbekistan in October 2025.
It is their first ever edition of the World Cup and they had already qualified when looking to bring in the Italian tactician.
Cannavaro excited by Uzbekistan project
“I’ll tell you what I always repeat to my players: for the first time you will play in a World Cup, you have nothing to lose,” Cannavaro told The Mirror newspaper.
“Approach every match with maximum calm, enjoy yourselves as much as possible, and if you feel anxiety, let it be positive anxiety.”
Football is a new frontier for Uzbekistan, although he does insists the “country’s passion for sport is enormous, especially for combat sports such as boxing. Uzbekistan is often ranked first in the world.
“This means that the Uzbek people are fighters at heart—they never give up. In terms of character, they are, in fact we are, second to none.”
Their group opponents in the World Cup will be Colombia, Portugal and a third side yet to be decided in the play-offs.
The leaders are investing heavily in development and state of the art facilities, which is why they brought in Cannavaro.
“The national team had just secured qualification for the first World Cup in its history, a result that made an entire country, an entire people, proud,” said Cannavaro.
“The federation was looking for a new head coach with international experience. I saw the facilities, visited the new sports centre, beautiful and modern, and understood their desire to open up to the world and their need to keep growing.
“Many things impressed me, but the federation and its leadership’s desire to emerge was fundamental. I saw enthusiasm, ambition, and capability. To be honest, I immediately fell in love with the people and the project.
“The federation is investing heavily in the Academies—in terms of effort, ideas, and, of course, financially. In football, technical development is at a good stage, and we are working on the tactical side.”
It is not a new experience for Cannavaro, who has been coaching all over the world since retiring as a player in 2012.
He had various roles at Al-Ahli in the UAE, clubs and national team positions in China, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Any Italian spells were short-lived, lasting 17 games in Serie B with Benevento in 2022-23, then only six matches to end the season at Udinese in 2024.
“Since Marcello Lippi wanted me in China with him, I have worked in many countries across Asia and the Middle East,” he said.
“It has been a fundamental journey to understand football from different perspectives, not only the European one, which I had experienced solely as a player. I like to broaden my horizons—I don’t want to stick to the usual ideas and concepts.
“All of this has prepared me to be ready for the Uzbekistan bench, a stimulating experience at the highest level. The federation consults with me frequently and asks for my help in developing the entire football movement. That makes me particularly proud,” concluded Cannavaro.
