Bekhruz Karimov #24

Profile

Born in 2007 in the Namangan region, Karimov’s father was a builder abroad, and his mother was a school teacher. "I've been playing football since I was six. When I was in high school, I was rejected by Navbahor’s Under-19 team because I was too young. After that incident, I started trying to prove that age is just a number," Karimov recalls. At 18 he continues to do so, his trajectory having been transformed within 12 extraordinary months of his league debut in March 2025. He scored his first league goal that October – and his second 20 minutes later – was named in the league’s young team of the year in December, played in the Under-23 Asian Cup in January, and made his full international debut in March 2026. In April a broken toe threatened to stall his progress, but swift surgery has allowed him to return in time to participate in the World Cup, something that would have been unimaginable just over a year ago. “After the injury I was very depressed, but everyone around me supported me. This also helped me get back on my feet faster,” he said.

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