Abdukodir Khusanov ranks among fastest players in World Cup opening round

This blistering pace directly mirrors the peak speed recorded by his Manchester City teammate, Norwegian forward Erling Haaland, during the initial round of tournament matches. The data highlights that both Khusanov and Haaland outperformed several renowned speed merchants on the global stage, including France's Kylian Mbappe, South Korea's Son Heung-min, and Portugal's Pedro Neto.

The top speed honors for the opening round went to Australia's Jordan Bos. The Feyenoord defender clocked a peak velocity of 36.7 km/h during the Socceroos' opening match against Turkey.

For Khusanov, this milestone marks one of the finest athletic displays of his professional career. The 22-year-old previously established himself as one of the swiftest defenders in French football, reaching 36.48 km/h for RC Lens during the 2024 Ligue 1 campaign. According to analytics from the CIES Football Observatory, he also recorded a top speed of 35.8 km/h in the UEFA Champions League following his transfer to Manchester City.

The tracking data offers a major individual validation for Khusanov, who serves as a defensive cornerstone for Fabio Cannavaro's squad as Uzbekistan makes its historic debut on the world stage. The Tashkent-born defender initially joined RC Lens from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU in 2023, where he became the first Uzbek national to feature in Ligue 1. In January 2025, he completed a high-profile move to Manchester City on a four-and-a-half-year contract, making history as the first Uzbekistani footballer to play in the English Premier League. His debut season in England proved highly successful, as he lifted both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup with the Citizens, while also securing a spot in the FA Cup Team of the Season.

While Khusanov turned heads with his physical metrics, the match itself ended in a 3–1 victory for Colombia at the Estadio Azteca. The South American side opened the scoring through Daniel Muñoz, but Uzbekistan fought back in the 60th minute when Abbosbek Fayzullaev capitalized on a spilled volley to nod home, engraving his name in the record books as the first-ever World Cup goalscorer for the national team. Colombia quickly regained control just five minutes later via a low drive from Luis Diaz, before substitute Jáminton Campaz wrapped up the points deep into stoppage time.

Uzbekistan finds itself in a challenging Group K alongside Colombia, Portugal, and DR Congo. Following the initial round of fixtures, Colombia leads the group with three points, while Portugal and DR Congo sit tied with one point each following their 1–1 draw. Currently without a point, the White Wolves face a critical test in their bid for the knockout stages when they meet Roberto Martinez's Portugal side on June 23 at 22:00 (Tashkent time).