Dawn of the White Wolves

How Uzbekistan – football's most remarkable underdog – are building a future with youth at its heart.

Through fires of conquest, tragedy and empire, football in Uzbekistan survived.

Now, a forward-thinking crew of scouts and coaches are ushering their country towards a golden age.

In this special, narrative epic, Neel Shelat chronicles the fall and rise of one of world football’s most remarkable underdogs - and talks to the people engineering it.

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Read on for:

• How a Soviet air disaster set Uzbekistan football back decades

• How an Asian Cup disintegration inspired a remarkable comeback

• The youth revolution led by one of history’s greatest referees

• Why this summer’s Olympics was the culmination of a two-decade dream

This is the story of the White Wolves.

When FIFA updated their global rankings in December 2010, eyes in Uzbekistan glanced up. What they found made sorry reading. The men’s national team had dropped out of the top 100 yet again, but that was hardly a surprise. Their highest ever ranking was 45th, in 2007 - a new dawn which, over time, proved false.

The fans, for their part, were not exactly up in arms. Cynical as ever, many were anticipating the drop-off. Once you understand their history, it is hard to blame them. Conquest, dominion, an air disaster, the fall of an empire - Uzbekistan’s story and by extension, the story of its football, has the taste of an Homeric epic.

Today, Uzbekistan lie 64th - still below their peak. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find Uzbek football is better than ever. Young domestic talent is slowly making its way into the world’s best competitions, and the league is growing in strength. As the FIFA World Cup expands to a 48-team format in 2026, Uzbekistan are now among the favourites to qualify from Asia and finally reach the world’s biggest stage.

This is a story of history shaping football and football shaping history. From ashes, Uzbekistan have built their White Wolves - a footballing nation marching towards its future with purpose, and youth at its heart.