Turkmenistan

The pitch at Köpetdag Stadium sits in the middle of Ashgabat, with the larger Olympic Stadium reserved for World Cup qualifiers and other selected fixtures that need its 45,000 seats. Köpetdag holds 26,503.

That history began in 1992, once independence from the Soviet Union gave Turkmenistan a team of its own, and it opened badly: a 1–0 defeat to Kazakhstan in Almaty on 1 June that year, alongside Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Emerald Greens, as they are known for the green of their home shirts. One came in 2006, when an 11–0 win over Afghanistan in World Cup qualifying stood as their heaviest victory. Another came in April 2004, when a run of results lifted them to 86th in the FIFA rankings.

The closest they have come to a trophy was in the AFC Challenge Cup, where they reached the final twice and lost both times to North Korea — a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in 2010, then a 1–2 defeat in 2012. Arslanmyrat Amanow won 63 caps between 2009 and 2024, while Wladimir Baýramow remains the side's leading scorer with 16 goals from 35 appearances. Off the pitch, the team has gone through spells of upheaval, including the sacking of an entire coaching staff in 2014, with foreign managers such as Viktor Pozhechensky brought in to steady things.