Winless but rewarded: Uzbek World Cup scorers get electric minivans

Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

Forwards of Uzbekistan’s national football team, Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Eldor Shomurodov, received premium Xpeng X9 electric minivans as gifts following the team’s appearance at the World Cup, Podrobno.uz reported.

Uzbekistan’s entrepreneurs presented the footballers with the keys to new electric vehicles worth about $83,000 as a gesture of recognition for their performance at the 2026 World Cup.

Fayzullaev made history as the first Uzbekistan player to score at a FIFA World Cup, finding the net in the 60th minute of the match against Colombia. Shomurodov scored against DR Congo. His goal was later voted the best of the group stage in a FIFA fan poll.

Car specs

The Xpeng X9 is the Chinese automaker’s flagship seven-seat electric minivan. Built on an 800-volt architecture, it delivers up to 503 horsepower and has a CLTC-rated driving range of up to 702 kilometers on a single charge.

The vehicle is equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems and offers a level of comfort comparable to the Toyota Alphard and Lexus LM, while being powered entirely by electricity.

According to Russian business media outlet RBC, the Xpeng X9 is priced between 800 million and nearly 1 billion Uzbek som in Uzbekistan, depending on the trim level.

The tournament marked Uzbekistan’s FIFA World Cup debut. The team lost all three group-stage matches — to Colombia, Portugal and DR Congo — to finish bottom of its group. Goals by Faizullaev and Shomurodov were Uzbekistan’s only goals of the tournament.