Uzbekistan leaves heartwarming message for Canada ahead of FIFA World Cup
A rival nation at the upcoming FIFA World Cup is sending all its best to Canada ahead of the tournament.
The Canadian men’s national soccer team was in Edmonton earlier this week for a World Cup tune-up match against Uzbekistan. It was Canada who came out on top 2-0 in that match in front of over 45,000 dedicated Canadian soccer fans at Commonwealth Stadium, who braved a torrential downpour to support their nation ahead of the World Cup.
You might think the loss would sting a little for Uzbekistan, which is preparing to play in its first-ever World Cup tournament, but that was not the case. Instead of wallowing in defeat, the Uzbeks took the high road and made sure to leave Canada on a good note.
A heartwarming message was left on the whiteboard in the Uzbekistan dressing room after the game, thanking Canada for hosting and wishing their rivals the best of luck in the World Cup.
They also appeared to leave the dressing room in pristine condition.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Canada!” the board read. “All the best in the World Cup!”
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It’s an excellent show of sportsmanship from the Uzbekistani national team, and one that showed how humble they are as they prepare for their World Cup debut. Excitement in Uzbekistan must be reaching similar levels of excitement as Canada for the tournament.
Unfortunately, these two countries are unlikely to meet during the tournament. Canada is already set up in Group B alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, and Qatar, while Uzbekistan is in Group K with Portugal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Colombia.
The only way Canada could match up with Uzbekistan is if the two nations somehow advance far enough to meet in the knockout stages. That seems unlikely, however, as Uzbekistan is a heavy underdog in their group and sits 50th in the latest FIFA rankings.
Canada has also yet to win a single World Cup match in two tries.
Both teams will be looking to defy the odds when the tournament gets going next week. Canada is set to open up their tournament on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina and will then head to the West Coast for a pair of Vancouver matches against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.