Construction of a stadium with 55 thousand seats has started in New Tashkent

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev today took part in the ceremony of laying the first stone for the construction of a large sports facility in New Tashkent - a modern football stadium.

The last five years have become a turning point for Uzbek football. The system of national championships was reformed, and children's and youth academies were created. There are 75 large and 302 mini-stadiums operating in the regions.

If back in 2017 there were only 3 football fields in the country that met the requirements of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation, today their number exceeds 10.

Recently, the construction of a modern National Football Center was completed in the Yukorichirchik district. More than 65 thousand young athletes play football in specialized schools, where coaches and sports medicine specialists from leading foreign clubs are involved.

A system for selecting football players has been created, starting from the mahalla level. For this purpose, incentive mechanisms have been introduced, and mini-fields have been organized in 70 percent of mahallas. 1.5 thousand school stadiums have been renovated, and over a million schoolchildren and youth are involved in football. Tournaments among mahallas, districts, regions and at the republican level have become traditional.

These measures began to bring results.

– For the first time in history, our Olympic team competed at the Olympics in Paris. For the first time, the national team won a ticket to the next World Cup. And now in Qatar, our under-17 football players are defending the country’s honor as Asian champions,” the President said at the ceremony.

Today, 20 Uzbek football players play in prestigious foreign clubs. Their combined transfer value exceeds $60 million. It was especially noted that our compatriot Abdukodir Khusanov became the most expensive football player in Asia.

This reflects the recognition of the international level of the Uzbek football school.

The President also said that during a recent visit to Uzbekistan, FIFA President Gianni Infantino highly appreciated the attention paid to football, the created infrastructure, reforms in management and In general, fundamental changes have occurred in Uzbek football. According to him, the international football community has great respect for our country and Uzbekistan today is one of the football giants of Asia.

On October 2, the FIFA Council decided to hold the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2027 in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

In each country, championship matches will be held in three stadiums. The finals and semi-finals must be held in a stadium with a capacity of more than 50 thousand spectators - this is one of the requirements of FIFA.

- Therefore, we are starting the construction of an important facility for domestic football - a stadium in New Tashkent. Why was New Tashkent chosen for this $100 million project? Because New Tashkent will become a center of opportunities and advanced ideas, the head of state noted.

All projects in New Tashkent are implemented on the basis of a single concept - a harmonious combination of a modern architectural approach and national values, with an emphasis on environmental friendliness and “smart management”. The new stadium, built in accordance with this concept, will be integrated into the natural environment and built on the principles of “green energy”, “smart management” and creating a comfortable urban environment.

The stadium will be built in accordance with all FIFA requirements and will become one of the largest and most technologically advanced football facilities in Asia.

The construction will work not only for the U-20 World Cup in 2027, but will also become a driver for the development of all Uzbek football and youth sports for decades to come.

It should be noted that Uzbekistan’s right to host the world championship is another expression of the international community’s trust and high respect for the country.

It is emphasized that in preparation for the championship, a separate state program will be approved, which will define tasks for infrastructure, transport, hotel services, medicine and the volunteer movement.

– Foundation of the Novy stadium Tashkent, which we are laying today, is the foundation of our victories tomorrow. I am confident that this stadium will become a source of inspiration for young people, a symbol of pride of the people and a great gift to millions of fans,” said the President.

At the end of the event, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev laid the capsule into the foundation and launched the construction of the stadium.