The Kazakhstan Euro 2024 squad will come around sooner than you think, as Magomed Adiyev's team aim to secure a shock qualification for the finals in Germany.
UEFA's largest member nation, Kazakhstan began their Euro 2024 qualification campaign 115th in the FIFA World Ranking, in between Mozambique and Sierra Leone – but they finished within four points of qualifying automatically for the finals.
And their dream is still alive after they qualified for the play-offs by virtue of their 2022/23 Nations League performance.
Kazakhstan – the former Soviet republic who were members of the Asian Football Confederation from 1994 to 2002 – travel to Greece for their semi-final; win that, and they'll face Georgia or Luxembourg for a spot at their first ever major tournament.
They couldn't, could they?
Kazakhstan's squad
Kazakhstan Euro 2024 squad: The squad for the play-offs
- GK: Bekkhan Shayzada (Ordabasy)
- GK: Igor Shatsky (Aktobe)
- GK: Danil Ustimenko (Kairat)
- DF: Serhiy Malyi (Ordabasy)
- DF: Aleksandr Marochikin (Astana)
- DF: Nuraly Alip (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
- DF: Marat Bystrov (Astana)
- DF: Yan Vorogovsky (Astana)
- DF: Bagdat Kairov (Aktobe)
- DF: Yerkin Tapalov (Tobol)
- DF: Ruslan Valiullin (Tobol)
- DF: Aleksandr Zuyev (Arsenal Tula)
- DF: Roman Asrankulov (Tobol)
- DF: Adilkhan Tanzharikov (Aktobe)
- MF: Islambek Kuat (Astana)
- MF: Askhat Tagybergen (Ordabasy)
- MF: Abzal Beysebekov (Astana)
- MF: Maskim Samorodov (Aktobe)
- MF: Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov (Besiktas)
- MF: Ramazan Orazov (Aktobe)
- MF: Islam Chesnokov (Tobol)
- MF: Adilet Sadybekov (Kairat)
- FW: Abat Aymbetov (Adana Demirspor)
- FW: Elkhan Astanov (Astana)
- FW: Ramazan Karimov (Astana)
Kazakhstan Euro 2024 squad numbers
Squad numbers are yet to be confirmed for Euro 2024.
Kazakhstan manager: Magomed Adiyev
Russian Magomed Adiyev was appointed manager of Kazakhstan in May 2022, having previously held the reins at Kazakh top-flight outfit Shakhter Karagandy and a number of clubs in his homeland.
Kazakhstan's star player
Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov
One of a handful of Kazakhstan players who play their club football abroad, Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov joined Turkish giants Besiktas from CSKA Moscow in August 2023.
A highly versatile operator who can line up in attack, midfield or defence, he made his senior international debut in 2018 at the age of 19.
FAQs
How many players are Kazakhstan allowed to take to Euro 2024?
UEFA confirmed in February that each competing nation will be able to name a final squad of 23 players in their Euro 2024 squads, including a mandatory three goalkeepers.
After a couple of tournaments featuring 26-player teams, UEFA have now reverted from the expanded squad.
National managers were allowed to bring 26 players to 2021's European Championship for the first time at a major tournament, as a special measure brought in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the fixture congestion, the expanded squads returned for the World Cup. Without those same issues, 23-player squads have made a return.
