Eldor Azamat oʻgʻli Shomurodov (born 29 June 1995) is an Uzbek professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a forward for club

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

and

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

the Uzbekistan national team. Shomurodov played in his homeland for Mash'al Mubarek and Bunyodkor, before spending three years with

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

in the

Russian Premier League The Russian Premier League (RPL; , ''Rossiyskaya premyer-liga''; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is a professional association football league in Russia and the highest level of the Russian football league system. It was establis ...

. In 2020, he moved to

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

in Serie A for €8 million and a year later Roma for €17.5 million, followed by loan spells at

Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguri ...

and

Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...

. After helping the under-20 team to the quarter-finals of the

2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the twentieth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The competition took place for the first time in New Zealand, the third time on Oceanian soil after ...

, Shomurodov made his full international debut for Uzbekistan later that year, and represented the country at the

2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (or commonly called the Asian Cup 2019) was the 17th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international association football, football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ...

. He also captained his team to qualify for the first World Cup appearance. With 41 goals, he is the nation's all-time top scorer.

Club career

Early career

Born in

Jarqoʻrgʻon Jarqoʻrgʻon (, ) is a city in Surxondaryo Region, Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Jarqoʻrgʻon District. The population was 17,687 in 1989, and 22,700 in 2016. The 12th century Jarkurgan minaret is located in the village Minor, some 5 km ...

, Shomurodov played for Mash'al Mubarek and Bunyodkor. On 15 July 2017, he moved to

club

. His most prolific season was his last, with 11 goals in 2019–20.

Genoa

On 1 October 2020, Shomurodov completed an €8 million move to

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

club

. He became the second Uzbek to play in Serie A, after Ilyos Zeytulayev, whose teams also included Genoa. He made his debut on 19 October in a goalless draw at

Hellas Verona Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Hellas Verona (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Verona, Veneto, that currently plays in Serie A. The team won ...

, being substituted for Gianluca Scamacca after 63 minutes; his first goal on 30 November was consolation in a 2–1 home loss to

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

. He scored eight times in his one season at the

Stadio Luigi Ferraris The Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria football clubs, it opened in 1911 and is t ...

, including two in a 4–3 home loss to

Atalanta Atalanta (; ) is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology), Clymene and who is primarily known from the tales of the Caly ...

on 15 May 2021.

Roma

On 2 August 2021,

announced the acquisition of Shomurodov on a five-year contract for €17.5 million plus bonuses. He debuted 17 days later in

José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...

's first game as manager, away to

Trabzonspor Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...

in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round. He started the game and scored the decisive goal of a 2–1 win, becoming at 26 years the second and youngest Uzbek to score in the

UEFA Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual football competition organised since 2021 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the thir ...

. Mainly a substitute in his first season, he scored three league goals, starting with an equaliser in a 3–2 loss at

Venezia Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

on 7 November. He went on to become the first-ever Uzbek football player to win a major UEFA competition, as his club triumphed in the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final, for which he was a last-minute substitute. On 8 September 2022, during a 2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage game against

Ludogorets Razgrad Professional Football Club Ludogorets 1945 (), commonly known as Ludogorets Razgrad or simply Ludogorets, is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Razgrad, which currently competes in the First Professional Football League ...

lost 1-2 to

and he scored one goal, becoming at 27 years Uzbekistan’s oldest goalscorer ever in

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

final stage, a record that still stands. On 30 January 2023,

signed Shomurodov on loan until the end of the season. On 27 July 2023, recently-promoted to

side

announced the signing of Shomurodov from Roma on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent. He returned to Roma after the end of his loan to Cagliari in summer 2024. On 30 January 2025, during the 8th and last day of the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase, he scored a goal against

Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...

, becoming at 29 years the oldest Uzbek to score in an UEFA club competition. AS Roma won the game 2–0.

International career

Youth

Shomurodov played for the Uzbekistan U19 in the

2014 AFC U-19 Championship The 2014 AFC U-20 Asian Cup, AFC U-19 Championship was the 38th edition of the biennial international youth association football, football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for players aged 19 and below. Myanmar were a ...

and qualified to

. He played in all five matches of U-20 team at the 2015 U-20 World Cup and scored two goals for the quarter-finalists. Shomurodov and two teammates were listed as nominees for best young players of Asia by AFC in 2015. TUR-UZB 20190113 Asian Cup 9

Senior

Shomurodov was called to senior national team to play on 3 September 2015 in 2018 World Cup qualifying match against

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. He made his official debut in that match. On 8 October 2015, he scored his first goal for the national team in a World Cup qualifying away match against

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

, securing a 4–0 victory for the Uzbek side. Shomurodov was part of the squad that manager

Héctor Cúper Héctor Raúl Cúper (; born 16 November 1955) is an Argentine football manager and former player who was most recently head coach of the Syria national team. As a player, he was a defender who spent most of his career at Ferro Carril Oeste, w ...

took to the

in the United Arab Emirates. He came off the bench to score a late winner in a 2–1 opening victory over

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

, and followed it by scoring twice in a 4–0 win over neighbours

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

as a starter. In the last group game, he opened a 2–1 loss to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

as both teams progressed. On 29 March 2022, Shomurodov scored a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

in a 4–2 win over

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

in the Nowruz Cup final. He added another three goals on 11 June against the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

in a

2023 AFC Asian Cup The 2023 AFC Asian Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It involved 24 national teams after its expansion in 20 ...

qualifier; his ten goals in that successful qualification campaign made him the second highest scorer behind

Ali Mabkhout Ali Ahmed Mabkhout Mohsen Imran Al Hajeri (; born 5 October 1990) is an Emirati professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr SC (Dubai), Al-Nasr and the Unite ...

of the United Arab Emirates. On 14 June 2023, Shomurodov scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over

during the CAFA Nations Cup, in which he became his country's all-time top scorer with 36 goals, breaking previous record of Maxim Shatskikh. Shomurodov missed out on the

due to a leg injury, in which Uzbekistan reached the quarter-finals.

2024 Olympics

Shomurodov was included in the

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...

for the

2024 Olympic Games The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

, Uzbekistan’s first participation to the Olympic Football Tournament. On 24 July 2024, during the first group stage match against Spain, he scored Uzbekistan’s first ever goal in the Olympic history, from the penalty spot.

2025

On 6 June 2025, his captaincy saw Uzbekistan qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, following a draw against the United Arab Emirates in the 9th matchday of Asian qualifiers.

Style of play

Shomurodov is a striker capable of both scoring and providing assists and who can vary across the offensive front. Shomurodov is capable of strong accelerations and progressions on the run, he is also physically strong, he can attack space, has good dynamism and is skilled in aerial play. For his quality his nickname is "the Uzbek Messi". He studied the games of

Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (; born 11 March 1978) is an Ivorian former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker. He is the Top international association football goal scorers by cou ...

and

Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He is the curr ...

as a child.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Uzbekistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Shomurodov goal.''

Honours

Mash'al *UzPFL Cup: 2014 Roma *

UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual association football, football competition organised since 2021 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European foot ...

: 2021–22 *

runner-up: 2022–23 Individual * Uzbekistan Player of the Year: 2019, 2021

References

External links

Profile
at

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shomurodov, Eldor 1995 births Living people Sportspeople from Surxondaryo Region Uzbekistani men's footballers 21st-century Uzbekistani sportsmen Men's association football forwards FC Bunyodkor players FC Rostov players Genoa CFC players AS Roma players Spezia Calcio players Cagliari Calcio players Uzbekistan Super League players Russian Premier League players Serie A players Uzbekistan men's youth international footballers Uzbekistan men's international footballers Uzbekistan men's under-23 international footballers Olympic footballers for Uzbekistan 2019 AFC Asian Cup players Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Uzbekistani expatriate men's footballers Uzbekistani expatriate sportspeople in Russia Uzbekistani expatriate sportspeople in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Russia Expatriate men's footballers in Italy UEFA Conference League–winning players