The Uzbekistan national team earned praise for its sportsmanship after cleaning its dressing room following the country's historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Uzbekistan suffered a 1-3 defeat to Colombia in its opening Group K match, which was played at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Despite the disappointing result, the Uzbek delegation left a positive impression off the pitch. After the match, the team carefully cleaned the dressing room and left a handwritten message expressing gratitude to the host nation.
"Thank you very much, Mexico! Good luck at the World Cup! Rahmat!" the note on the dressing room board read, with "rahmat" meaning "thank you" in Uzbek.
The gesture follows a tradition seen at several major international tournaments, where teams demonstrate respect for hosts and organizers by leaving facilities in perfect condition after matches.
Although Uzbekistan became the first Central Asian nation to make its World Cup debut, the team also achieved another milestone by scoring its first-ever goal at football's biggest tournament. Head coach Fabio Cannavaro's side will now turn its attention to a difficult second group-stage match against Portugal on June 23 in Houston.
After a spirited performance against Colombia, Uzbekistan will be hoping to claim its first points in World Cup history when it faces Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates.
