How Atlanta became Uzbekistan’s World Cup home base
Atlanta United senior vice president of strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou sought a deeper understanding of Uzbekistan culture as the national team became an option to set up shop at United’s facility for the duration of its FIFA World Cup run.
When he searched for Uzbek restaurants in Atlanta, Laghman Express populated first. At first, Efstathiou was confused. Had he searched for results in New York? He had enjoyed a restaurant of the same name in Brooklyn. However, he was not mistaken as metro Atlanta’s only Uzbek restaurant had just opened in the spring of 2025 under that same ownership.
Now, Efstathiou recommends the Alpharetta establishment whenever he can. He plans to dine again before Uzbekistan takes on the Democratic Republic of Congo in their final group stage match Saturday in Atlanta.
Uzbekistan has trained at the Atlanta United grounds in Marietta since arriving for the World Cup. Efstathiou said the club was in talks with other teams but ultimately settled on the White Wolves.
“Uzbekistan chose us, we chose Uzbekistan,” Efstathiou said.
Laghman Express co-owner Babur Akhmedov was also involved in the process.
Around the same time that Efstathiou was preparing for the Uzbek federation’s visit, Akhmedov received a call from the embassy asking if he was interested in courting the national team.
In January, Akhmedov met the Uzbekistan delegation, including manager Fabio Cannavaro and vice president of the federation Ravshan Irmatov, at the airport and escorted them to their hotel. Akhmedov helped show them around Atlanta. Akhmedov said that at first, the former Italian World Cup champion Cannavaro was a little reserved, but after experiencing the hospitality on the visit, he began to loosen up.
Uzbekistan had other options in the south, but Akhmedov had an intriguing pitch: “It’s gonna be hot here but less hot than Texas.” He also made a promise to the White Wolves.
“We’re gonna be here for you guys anytime you need something,” Akhmedov said to the federation.
A couple of months later, in March, Akhmedov was elated to learn that his current home city would host his home country’s first-ever World Cup.
As United organized to host the national team, Efstathiou arranged cultural learning for the staff. He invited a professor from Kennesaw State University to speak on the history of the Central Asian nation, along with Akhmedov, as Laghman Express did a “beautiful catering” for the event.
Akhmedov offered the staff some of Uzbekistan’s delicacies: Uzbek plov, fried wontons, samsa and traditional tea made with up to 14 ingredients. He shed light on how Uzbekistan is a majority-Muslim nation as he explained how his team sourced the halal meat. It was a learning that carried into the World Cup, where Efstathiou said the team trains at night when it’s cooler after their five daily prayers.
“(Some) never heard of Uzbekistan before, so this kind of thing makes you excited,” Akhmedov said.
At the same time, many around the world beyond the United training grounds are discovering more about Uzbekistan as it’s been thrust onto the largest platform in sports for the first time in the federation’s history. That will be put on display at Atlanta Stadium on Saturday against the DRC.