The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, met with the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, on October 17, 2026. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss prospects for further cooperation and the development of football in Uzbekistan.
The head of the AFC highly praised the efforts being made in Uzbekistan to support both amateur and professional football, as well as to create modern sports infrastructure and strengthen the educational base of the sport.
The parties paid special attention to the joint development of football academies and increasing youth participation in sports. The importance of implementing the 'Football field in every mahalla' program, which aims to motivate young people to play football, was emphasized.
The dialogue concluded with an agreement to expand practical cooperation. Priority areas included assistance in organizing and conducting major football competitions, including women's and youth tournaments.
Furthermore, the participants discussed the need to develop methodological support for training players and coaches, as well as improving the work on identifying talented footballers.
