President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited the National Football Center recently established in the Yukori Chirchik district.
Two years ago, during a previous visit to the area, the Head of State emphasized the need to build a modern football complex adjacent to the existing stadium. Shortly after, on November 3, 2023, a Presidential Decree titled “On expanding the network of football-educational institutions and developing football infrastructure in line with international standards” was signed.
Now, on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, this significant project has been officially commissioned. The complex has the capacity to host training camps for up to six national teams simultaneously, offering modern facilities including stadiums, training buildings, sports halls, and a hotel. Additional infrastructure includes a beach soccer pitch, futsal arena, swimming pool, and rehabilitation center, ensuring all-around training and recovery conditions.
To ensure the comprehensive development of football players and specialists, the complex houses four key institutions:
Center for Training and Football Research,
National Teams Preparation Center,
Republican Football Academy,
Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center.
President Mirziyoyev inspected the newly built facilities and expressed satisfaction with the conditions provided.
The Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center is equipped with the latest foreign technologies and modern recovery methodologies, enabling footballers to regain full fitness in a short period of time.
The Football Academy serves as a platform to scout and develop young talent. To organize its work on a global level, the center has engaged professional experts from countries such as Argentina, Hungary, and Croatia. These specialists are involved in training qualified coaches, referees, analysts, scouts, and football managers. The complex also features a dedicated VAR Center.
During the visit, the President met with football veterans and young players, highlighting that football remains the most popular sport in Uzbekistan and reaffirming the government’s commitment to its continued development.
Over recent years, the national football system has seen profound improvements — from grassroots programs and local clubs to professional academies and national championships. These reforms are now yielding results, the most notable being the historic qualification of Uzbekistan’s senior national team for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history.
Another milestone was achieved in April, when the Uzbekistan U-17 national team won the AFC U-17 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia, thereby securing a place at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025.
President Mirziyoyev personally congratulated the young champions, expressing heartfelt appreciation and motivation:
“We strive to claim a worthy place in the world across all fields, and our athletes are among the first to bring us there. Your determined victory proves that with dedication and effort, the people of Uzbekistan are capable of achieving anything. The world has seen a new generation of Uzbekistan through your fighting spirit, pride, and perseverance. We will now support football two or three times more than before. Young people like you are the pride of our nation and the joy of your President,” – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The players expressed sincere gratitude for the support and pledged to live up to the trust placed in them by the leadership and the people of Uzbekistan.
