The future of football development in Uzbekistan has received a significant boost with the construction of floodlights at Dustlik Stadium, Tashkent, completing Phase 3 of the national training centre upgrades. Since the foundation of the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) in 1993, the member federation had not had its own training ground, limiting the nation’s ability to serve football stakeholders in the country and adequately prepare national teams for competition. Built with the assistance of FIFA Forward funding, the UFA were able to provide an international-standard facility that will support all areas of football in Uzbekistan and promote football at a national and regional level. Assisted by the FIFA Forward programme – which provides FIFA’s 211 Member Associations with funding for tailor-made football-related projects – the UFA have been able to make steady improvements to a facility that can now serve the broader football community.

"Infrastructure is one of the most important pillars of football development. The completed floodlight project in Dustlik NTC main pitch will enable Uzbekistan FA to host international and professional domestic matches at the venue," said Sanjeevan Balasingham, FIFA Director Member Associations Asia & Oceania. "The quality of the light allows broadcast in top resolution, and UFA is now able to schedule fixtures conveniently for players, officials and spectators to avoid summer heat. We would like to congratulate our friends and long-term partners from UFA on another successful project, and hope there will be many more to come."

The installation of floodlights at Dustlik Stadium was the third phase of developing a national training centre for Uzbekistan. The project began with the construction of three pitches with floodlights, continued with the renovation of the main stadium building and stands, and was completed once floodlights were installed for the main pitch. Now upgraded, Dustlik Stadium will serve as the home base for Uzbekistan's national teams, become the main venue for women’s national team matches, be used to educate referees and coaches, and will be available for clubs to utilise. With floodlight installation completed in October 2024, the stadium has already played host to nighttime domestic football matches and is ready to host international matches. The upgrades mean that UFA now own a venue that meets the requirements for hosting Asian Football Confederation and Central Asian Football Association tournaments. "On behalf of Uzbekistan Football Association and Uzbek football community, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your invaluable support in implementing the floodlights project at Dustlik NTC Stadium. We deeply appreciate FIFA’s ongoing assistance and the strong partnership we have built," said Uzbekistan FA Senior Vice President Ravshan Irmatov. "With this project completed, now we possess invaluable infrastructure with properly lighted four pitches, which in turn, will enormously help us to prepare all national teams for upcoming tournaments. Thank you once again for your support and dedication!"