In this tournament, the Russians will face the youth teams of Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Bahrain. All participants will be represented by players aged up to 23 years, within the Olympic U-23 format. This event is part of the preparation for the Asian Cup 2026 for youth teams, which will take place in January next year in Saudi Arabia.
Among the players included in the extended squad are Daniil Lukin, Alexey Glebov, and Kirill Rozhkov, who have previously been called up to the youth national team and have the opportunity to make it to the final roster for the tournament. The press service of the RFU reports that the final list of footballers will be approved in early November.
In October, the Russian youth team played two friendly matches against the Belarusian team: in one game, the Russians suffered a defeat (0:2) away, while in the other, they drew (1:1) at home. These matches were part of the team's preparation under the guidance of Shabarov.
The tournament in Kyrgyzstan will be a key stage in forming the main squad of the national team, preparing to participate in major international competitions next year.
