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Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the only UEFA representative in Central Asia.
The national team regularly competes at the European level and occasionally achieves notable results.
Under the guidance of Russian coach Magomed Adiyev, the national team came within a few steps of securing a historic spot at EURO 2024.
In early 2026, the team, led by local coach Talgat Baysufinov, is preparing to compete in League C of the Nations League.
Kazakhstani footballers are also in demand abroad.
Islam Chesnokov is competing for the Scottish Championship with Hearts, and Bakhtiyor Zainutdinov, after a spell with Turkish side Besiktas, continued his career with Dynamo Moscow.
The Kazakhstani championship has undergone significant changes over the past year.
The country is actively privatizing clubs, and the limit on foreign players has been tightened. Nevertheless, the Kazakhstan Premier League remains a magnet for quality footballers with European experience, and sometimes even for true stars. Aktobe recently signed Nani, and Kaisar signed Victor Moses. Meanwhile, the country's most decorated clubs remain Astana and Kairat, both with experience in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
In the 2026 season, 16 clubs compete in the Kazakhstan Premier League, with spots in the Champions League and Conference League qualifying rounds at stake.
Казахстанская премьер-лига