Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium - Uzbekistan National Team Stadium Guide

The original version of Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium first opened in 1956 after a construction period of two years beginning in 1954. Designed by architect Mithat Sagatdinovich Bulatov during the era of the Soviet Union, the stadium features a pragmatic concrete design and an athletics track around the perimeter of the pitch.

Pakhtakor Tashkent FK played their inaugural fixture at the Central Stadium on 20th August 1956 against FC Dinamo Tbilisi. Now belonging to the country of Georgia, and its respective football league during this era teams from the Communist bloc competed within the Soviet League.

Initially capable of accommodating an estimated 55,000 spectators, the capacity of Central Stadium Pakhtakor decreased to 35,000 after substantial renovation work in 1996. Fully converted to all-seating, modern plastic seating was installed on the concrete bleachers in order to increase comfort levels.

For over 60 years The Central Stadium of Pakhtakor was regarded as the national stadium of Uzbekistan, however it was essentially replaced in 2012 by the newly built Bunyodkor Stadium.

Designed by GMP Architects from Germany, the stadium is a similar size to Pakhtakor Markaziy however it possesses many advantages such as being fully covered, features no running track, and has two tiers of seating which further increases the intimacy of the venue.