Fabio Cannavaro leads Uzbekistan into historic first World Cup

Fabio Cannavaro leads Uzbekistan into their first-ever World Cup campaign, which kicks off on 11 June. The former Ballon d'Or-winning defender has steered this debutant side to the global stage, where they will use a friendly against the Netherlands as final preparation. Ronald Koeman's Dutch side are looking to rebound from a shock 1–0 defeat and see the Uzbekistan match as a chance to settle their starting eleven before the tournament begins. No Uzbekistan players are named in the available previews, with the spotlight instead fixed on Cannavaro's leadership and the historic nature of the country's qualification.