WASHINGTON, July 2. /Dunyo IA/.  Authoritative American publication “Politico” published an article titled “Uzbekistan can’t win the World Cup. But it’s already won Washington’s attention. The soccer team is heading home early. Its diplomats aren’t”, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

It is noted that despite the conclusion of the national team of Uzbekistan's performance at the group stage of the World Cup, the country's historic and unprecedented debut at the global championship likewise a first for Central Asia - presented a pivotal opportunity to garner the attention of American policymakers.

On the eve of the match against Portugal, a meeting of ambassadors, US Government officials, and experts from the “C5+1” diplomatic platform was convened in Houston, dedicated to the expansion of economic partnership. Concurrently, Uzbekistan stood out as the sole nation within the “C5+1” format that successfully qualified for the World Cup.

As “Politico” quotes the Assistant Secretary of Commerce of the United States David Fogel, the emergence of Uzbekistan on the global football stage as a team competing in the World Cup, front and center in everyone’s mind.

According to the publication, the administration of President Donald Trump is expanding its engagement in Central Asia, seeking to reduce United States reliance on Chinese supply chains amidst Beijing's intensifying dominance in the sphere of critical minerals.

It is reported that in November 2025, Donald Trump hosted a meeting at the White House with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, dedicated to the expansion of economic cooperation. Following the negotiations, the Leader of Uzbekistan announced an intention to invest 400 million dollars in American companies operating in the extraction and processing of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

According to the publication's assessment, this step holds profound significance not only for the United States economy but also for its national security, given that China currently exercises de facto control over the global market for the processing of critical minerals.

In conclusion, Politico underscores that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has repeatedly hailed the national football team as a symbol of “New Uzbekistan”, which is definitively emerging from the shadow of its Soviet past and establishing itself as an independent geopolitical actor.