“We are simply friends and close nations – we are like two brothers,” was how the leader of the Uzbekistan Futsal Fan Club, Abdurahmon Fazilov, explained the vociferous support he and his compatriots have given neighbours Kazakhstan at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™.

The host nation’s bid for the trophy, in what was their third successive participation in the tournament, came to an end in the group stage where a 3-3 opening-game draw with the Netherlands was the highlight.

But the progress of Kazakhstan to the last eight and a tie with 2016 champions Argentina presented the ideal opportunity for the home fans to show solidarity with their neighbours in the first FIFA tournament staged in Central Asia – and with a capacity crowd of 9,357 packed into the Humo Arena in Tashkent, there was not a spare seat to be found.

“When Kazakhstan played in Andijan, you could see the size of the fan group supporting [their team] all together with flags and drums,” said Fazilov before the quarter-final match- at Tashkent’s Humo Arena where he coordinated the clapping and chants in support of the Kazakh team. “We don’t actually have a contract or anything like that between the Uzbekistan Fan Club and Kazakhstan Fan Club, but it really isn’t necessary: we don’t need any of this formal stuff or any documentation."

This sense of regional fraternity runs deep in the region. At this year’s Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup, Fazilov saw fans from other Central Asian nations unite behind Uzbekistan as they finished runners-up to Japan and clinched a first-ever participation in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament at Paris 2024.

“Sport brings nations closer together because there is no need for war or any kind of battle. You need to fight through sport, you need to fight in football which conversely brings nations closer,” said the 48-year-old, who drove to Paris to witness not only his country’s historic participation in football but also to support Central Asian athletes across all disciplines.

“At the Paris Olympics, personally, I was rooting for Kazakh athletes as well as for Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Turkmen athletes. Everyone was united because even during a boxing match, we have a clip where all five neighbouring countries got together and were supporting each other and holding flags [of the nations] together. I think events like FIFA or AFC tournaments should be given to Central Asia [to host] more often. We need to develop sport in our countries, too.”

The Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) have been working hand-in-hand with FIFA in recent years to do just that. Via funding from the first two phases of the FIFA Forward Development Programme, the UFA has been able to reinforce football and futsal infrastructure across the country. That includes the UFA Technical Centre, which has had floodlights installed to enable it to stage international matches, as well as the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024™ venues in Andijan, Bukhara and Tashkent.

With this work mirrored across FIFA’s 211 Member Associations in line with Goal 7 of FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027 to give more countries the opportunity to play in and host FIFA tournaments, new milestones will be set on a still more frequent basis in the future.

“I feel proud and honoured by the fact that the Futsal World Cup is being held in Uzbekistan, and I will be asking FIFA to let us host in the future. At least the youth cups to start with: the U-20 and U-17 [FIFA] World Cups,” said Fazilov, who has travelled to more than 60 countries to watch his country in action. “You can safely entrust Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan etc. with these tournaments. We will provide top-notch services, because we’re crying out to put them on. We’re eagerly awaiting our chance.”

Fourth in Lithuania in 2021, Kazakhstan will not see the semi-finals in Uzbekistan having been beaten 6-1 by an impressive Argentina side at the Humo Arena in the Uzbek capital. They will travel home, however, with memories of their magnificent Last 16 defeat of defending champions Portugal and how they brought the entire region together.

“It was a pleasant surprise for me to see Uzbek fans supporting our team as they would their own. They would cheer after the goals, congratulate us, sing songs and embrace us. It was amazing,” said Dinara Yessenamanova, attending the quarter-final to support her husband, Chingiz Yessenamanov, who scored in Kazakhstan’s famous win in the previous round.

“As this World Cup has shown, all the countries of Asia have united – our closest brothers – and have become one big team that lives with its love for futsal.”

“Sport, football and futsal bring our nations closer together,” added Fazilov. “It is a great incentive to create friendships with people not only from Central Asia, but also from the entire world.”