Cannavaro, touched: "It was hard, very hard to lose 3-1"
Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan coach, regretted his team's tough defeat against Colombia in the 2026 World Cup and highlighted the need to improve in the coming games.
By Ángel Torres
June 18, 2026 at 11:44 PM
The Italian Fabio Cannavaro, coach of Uzbekistan, expressed his discontent after his team's 3-1 defeat against Colombia on the first day of Group K of the 2026 World Cup. "It's tough: losing 3-1 is tough," said Cannavaro, who stressed that his team will have to "grow" in the next matches. Despite recognizing the quality of his team, the coach, world champion in 2006, admitted that they will have to improve against Portugal and the Republic of the Congo.
Cannavaro explained that during the first half, his players were too nervous and focused on defense, which affected their performance. However, he highlighted that the second half was much better. "In the end, at this level, when you fail, it's very costly. It's a shame to lose," he said.
The atmosphere of the match, played in the iconic Mexico City Stadium, known as Azteca, left an indelible mark for the coach: "It is something wonderful, something that you will remember all your life." Although the majority of the fans present supported Colombia, Cannavaro emphasized that his players will also carry this memory with them forever.