Image courtesy nytimes.com
| System ID: | jl-5fe4d343fed1a72223775892e9156189 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Abdukodir Khusanov is Uzbekistan's version of Cristiano Ronaldo. Their World Cup hopes rest on him |
| Link: | Original article on nytimes.com |
| Region: | UZ |
| Topics: | cup; khusanov; hes; ronaldo; hopes; uzbekistans; rest; gabon; cristiano; country; city; version; abdukodir; world; uzbek; player; venezuela; Manager (association football); Manchester City F.C.; Exhibition game; Association football; Penalty card; FIFA; Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Datetime: | 4/3/2026, 4:08:41 AM |
| Summary: | “He is a very talented player,” Gabon manager Anicet Yala says. The point is that Khusanov is a major talking point when it comes to Uzbek football (even if he’s not playing, clearly). A few days later, in Uzbekistan’s next match against Venezuela, we see precisely why…In a country that admires and adores Cristiano Ronaldo more than any other footballer, Khusanov is Uzbekistan’s version of the Portuguese superstar. In Uzbekistan’s capital city of Tashkent, everyone The Athletic speaks to knows who Khusanov is, whether they follow football or not. At one point, he nonchalantly dinks the ball over a Venezuela player and starts an attack (more “oooohs”).... |
