January 5 – Uzbekistan, who will appear at their first World Cup in 2026, is pursuing an expansion of the country’s domestic professional game with the city of Kattakurgan in the Samarkand region receiving government support to expand its infrastructure.
A Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on December 23 highlighted “further intensification of measures aimed at socio-economic development in the Samarakand region”, and included the establishment of a football academy in Kattakurgan.
Supported by a government grant of about $20 million, the football ‘school’ will link directly with the Kattakurgan Dinamo club with facilities including “the construction of a three-story educational and administrative building for 150 places, a dormitory and a canteen for 100 places, a universal sports hall measuring 48×24, and one natural and one artificial turf football field measuring 110×78.”
Kattargun, in their first season of pro league play, won the western region of the second tier of the Proliga in 2025 and reached the semi-finals of the play-offs.
Following a visit to the city by the general director of the League, Diyor Imamkhojayev, an agreement was reached for the league to work with the club to prepare for entry into the Uzbekistan Super League.
At the core of the preparation is the refurbishment and expansion of Kattakurgan’s stadium in a private and public funding partnership to meet Pro League requirements. Cost is estimated at $10 million.
The football school will provide a backbone of players for the future, not just for Kattakurgan Dinamo but also for a second pro-team in the region.
The training base will be located in the town of Peyshanba and is expected to take several years to fully develop.
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