Russian goalkeeper Timofey Tolstenev may obtain Uzbek citizenship to play for the national team

Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Timofey Tolstenev, who is from Russia, began playing for the club 'Gazalkent' in the Uzbekistan Pro League. This was made possible after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) granted permission for his registration with the team.

Currently, there is discussion at 'Gazalkent' regarding the possibility of obtaining Uzbek citizenship for Tolstenev, which could give him the right to represent the Uzbekistan national team. The goalkeeper's debut took place on October 12 during the away match of the 22nd round of the Pro League against 'Jayhun', where 'Gazalkent' won 2-1. Tolstenev started the match.

The goalkeeper was born on November 17, 2008. Although he trained with the team for about a year before the official start, the club could not include him in the player list due to restrictions concerning the registration of foreign minor footballers. A representative of 'Gazalkent' reported that he was immediately allowed to play after receiving permission from FIFA.

Prior to this, Tolstenev participated in friendly matches for the team. In February, he played in the starting lineup during training camps in Turkey against 'Zenit-2', a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. Now, the club management plans to assess his skill in upcoming matches to decide on further steps, including the possible acquisition of an Uzbek passport by him, as the club lacks such goalkeepers.

Nevertheless, obtaining Uzbek citizenship is not an automatic basis for playing for the national team; the possibility of changing football nationality is regulated by FIFA rules and the specific situation of the player.

The club 'Gazalkent' resumed operations at the end of 2025 after a long break and participates in the Uzbekistan Pro League starting from the 2026 season, attracting young athletes, including those from Russia. Besides Tolstenev, Russian footballers Ivan Korshunov and Vladislav Nabatov play for the team.

Korshunov, who is a graduate of the St. Petersburg 'Zenit' academy and previously played for 'Zenit-2' and other Russian clubs, as well as eighteen-year-old forward Nabatov, who trained in the Yaroslavl 'Shinnik' system, scores actively. In October, forward Nabatov scored a brace in the match against 'Pakhtakor-2', which 'Gazalkent' won 3-2, and also scored in the game against 'Jayhun'.

It is also worth noting that the Uzbekistan national football team recently achieved a convincing victory over Syria in a friendly match held in Tashkent, with a score of 4-1.

According to TRT Haber, representatives of the ruling Turkish party, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), are discussing an initiative that could potentially allow footballers from Turkic countries, including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, to play in the Turkish football league without being classified as foreign players.

Kürşad Zorlu, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party, stated that work on changing the status of athletes from the Turkic world has already begun. He also noted that this issue was discussed with the president of the Turkish Football Federation.

The goal of this initiative is not only to change the formal status of the players but also to develop football talents across all Turkic states. According to Zorlu, the successful implementation of the project will enable the discovery of young players throughout the vast Turkic world, which is home to over 200 million people.

He added that these talents would be developed through academies and youth systems in their home countries, which in turn would help raise the level of national teams in European Championships, World Cups, and other international tournaments.

Currently, the Kazakh midfielder Almagir Smakov, aged 18, plays in Turkish football; he signed a contract with the Istanbul club Beşiktaş in August and plays for the club's youth team in the junior league.

Uzbekistan is represented in the Turkish Super League by winger Abbozbek Faizullaev and forward Eldor Shomurodov, both of whom play for the Istanbul club Başakşehir.

Despite the ongoing discussions, a final decision on implementing this initiative has not yet been made, and its status remains under review. Adopting the proposal could change the participation conditions for footballers from Turkic countries in the Turkish league and expand opportunities for the growth of young athletes.