Abduqodir Husanov: Gaining Attention in Europe

Abduqodir Husanov has been consistently delivering impressive performances for both his club and national team, achieving team success while also earning individual recognition.

Notably, Husanov played a crucial role in Manchester City's Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal, earning him the title of the team's best player for January and March. He also won the FIFA Series 2026 with the Uzbek national team and was named the tournament's best player.

Given his growth and achievements, Manchester City's management is reportedly offering him a new contract with improved terms.

European football experts and top sources are taking notice of Abduqodir Husanov, expecting him to shine in the upcoming World Cup.

Recently, The Athletic named Husanov one of the "most underappreciated footballers in the world", alongside players like Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Joao Neves, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Victor Osimhen, who are all deemed to be underappreciated given their skills.

The Athletic wrote about Abduqodir Husanov, stating:

"Husanov is quiet by nature, but he proves himself on the field without much fuss. This season, he has shown significant improvement. His key strengths are his speed, excellent understanding of the game, and aggressive tackling.

"After Manchester City's Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal, renowned journalist Henry Winter praised Husanov, saying:

"Abduqodir Husanov deserves praise. The 22-year-old Manchester City central defender is still developing his game, still making mistakes, but his speed, athleticism, and determination are increasingly impressive.

"His simple yet effective passing and love for physical battles are also noteworthy. His ability to win the ball back from Kai Havertz at Wembley was remarkable.

"Husanov had a good game in the final, coping well against Victor Dycker. He still occasionally makes rash tackles, but a yellow card doesn't faze him. In the following hour, he focused on winning duels.

"His character has never been in question. When he made his City debut in January 2025, he didn't speak the local language and had only trained twice. He made two mistakes early on, gave Chelsea a chance to score, and received a yellow card for a foul on Cole Palmer. Yet, Abduqodir continued to play and has since flourished in his City career. The club calls him 'our Uzbek warrior'.

"The scouts did an excellent job. City bought him from Lens for £33.6 million, despite him having played only 31 games for the club. Lens scouts also deserve credit for spotting Husanov when he played for Energetik-BGU in Belarus.

"Husanov still needs to work on some aspects, particularly aerial battles, but he has all the potential to become a top-class central defender. And he's only 22.

"Husanov's former Lens teammate Kevin Danso once said:

"If Husanov came from a top league, he'd be worth £100 million. He changed our defensive hierarchy. He's our Uzbek warrior,"