The opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics will take place this Friday in the form of an unusual river parade. Even still, the real curtain-raiser for the games is penned in two days beforehand; with Uzbekistan taking on Spain at Paris Saint Germain's Parc des Princes, getting the action underway before a single athlete sets sale down the Sein.
Uzbekistan could have dreamed of a lighter start to their first time competing in the Football event, but it will come as a welcome test for the naive Uzbeks, hoping to bring football fever to an ever-proud nation come August.
A winning start has evaded Spain in the last two Olympic Games they have qualified for, with their Asian counterparts keen to make it a third awkward opening match on the bounce in Paris.
Eric García and Juan Miranda are the only survivors from an eerie, COVID-riddled Tokyo 2020 that saw La Roja fall to Brazil in the final. Much of the 2020 squad and manager, Luis de la Fuente are now firmly in the grasp of a Euro 2024 winning senior team.
The Olympics present an opportunity for Uzbekistan to go again after a historic run to the final of the U-23 AFC Championship earlier this year, losing out to Japan, 1-0. Their success was enough to secure qualification for Paris however, a gold medal in August may just make up for May’s defeat in Doha.
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Team news
Alejandro Irtube's dropping from Santi’s final 18-man squad means Spain will enter the tournament with a mere two goalkeepers, but it looks to be PSG shot-stopper Arnau Tenas to start between the sticks at his all-familiar Parc des Princes.
With no early injury concerns reported from either camp, both sides can gear up for Wednesday afternoon’s match with a fully fit squad.
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Likely lineups
4-2-3-1: Nematov; Mirsaidov, Khusanov, Davronov, Yuldashev; Buriev, Rahmonaliev; Fayzullaev, Jaloliddinov, Odilov, Shomurodov
4-2-3-1: Tenas; Miranda, Cubarsí, García, Pubill; Baena, Barrios; Gómez, Oroz, D. Lopez, Ruiz
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Key players
Uzbekistan - Eldor Shomurodov
The crown jewel of Uzbek football and the national team’s all time top-goalscorer, there is hardly Uzbek football without Eldor Shomurodov.
A rare export, Shomurodov has enjoyed a whirlwind few years in Italian football since touching down in Genoa for 2020/21. The 6’4 Striker caught the attention of Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the Summer of 2021. The Uzbek has had his moments in a Roma shirt, despite being sent out on loan twice over the last year.
Spain will need to be wary of the target man, having a knack for catching defenders napping in Italy.
Spain - Diego López
The Valencia wideman will be relishing his first tournament for La selección, having made his debut just 9 months ago.
The last 12 months have been spectacular for Valencia’s academy, producing a number of now crucial first teamers. Diego López in particular has rapidly risen through the ranks at the club, becoming a much better winger than the many Los Ches have thrown money at in recent pitiful campaigns.
I had the delight of being at Mestalla last year to witness his second of now seven senior goals. Since then, the 22-year-old has inaugurated himself as a real outlet for Valencia and netted twice for Spain’s U-21s in the process.
In under a year since his Spain U-21 debut, López has already made himself a very difficult man for Santi to leave out in Paris, despite a wealth of attacking royalty at his disposal.
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Match details
Where is the game being played?
Wednesday’s match will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris, the venue of the August 9th final.
What time is kick-off?
Uzbekistan vs Spain will get underway from Paris at 2:00PM (BST)
How can I watch?
You can tune into the game from the United Kingdom on the Discovery+ application.
