Forget about Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. The world's best soccer team, statistically speaking, may be a little-known team from Turkmenistan, a closed Central Asian nation.
Founded last year, FK Arkadag, named after strongman former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is unstoppable and continues to do so, with 36 consecutive wins in the country.
The team never lost in a competitive match and won the league and cup double in their first year. This is a success that would be unthinkable almost anywhere else.
But in Turkmenistan, there were few other paths.
The energy-rich country is one of the most closed countries on earth, and rights groups say the Berdimukhamedov family (father Gurbanguly and son President Serdar Berdimuhamedov) controls nearly every aspect of society. completely in control.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who built a strong cult of personality during his 15 years as president, is now known by the title of “Arkadag,” or heroic protector.
Despite handing over the presidency to Serdar, Gurbanguly continues to rule de facto with his son and enjoys immense privileges as the official head of the Turkmen state.
The soccer club named after him, Al-Kadag, plays its home games at the newly built Al-Kadag Stadium in the city of Al-Kadag. The stadium is a huge project built in his honor at a cost of $5 billion in public funds.
The city's main landmark? A 43 meter high monument. At the top is a golden statue of Gurbanguli on his Berdimuhamadow on horseback.
– “Win all titles” –
Despite their record-breaking run, FK Arcadag are struggling to attract spectators.
Around 200 spectators attended AFP's matches against Ahal and Altin Asir last month, scattered around the brand-new 10,000-capacity stadium.
Tickets were provided free of charge.
Watching fan Begench Mukhadov waved a scarf featuring the club's official logo, an ice blue and white emblem featuring the Akhal-Teke horse, Turkmen's national symbol.
Mukhadov, an 18-year-old who works at a construction company, said, “Arkadag will definitely win all the titles this season. I'm happy that an unbeatable team has emerged and soccer has become more interesting.''
Shageldy Soyunov, 34, a civil servant, said, “I closely follow all of Arkadag's games,'' adding that he likes the team's “dynamic play.''
After winning the double last year, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presented the Arkadag players with a photo of Serdar Berdimuhamedov signing a soccer ball with the club's logo.
Turkmen state media reported that the gift was “received with great pride and deep gratitude,” and the regime has extremely tight control over the gift.
“He met our team and became the driving force for new victories,” two-time league top scorer Didar Durdiev told AFP.
FK Arcadag, who scored 83 goals in 24 league games last year, have maintained their attacking power and have secured 25 goals in 5 games this season.
“We feel the support of our revered hero and defender Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov,'' said 30-year-old striker Durdiev.
～Invisible defeat～
Sports authorities removed references that questioned Arcadag's status as an unbeatable soccer team.
The Turkmen Football Federation's website shows no trace of its two recent defeats to Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipro 1 in friendly matches in February.
This is not surprising in a country where information is so tightly controlled. Especially when it comes to a football club founded in honor of the undisputed father of the nation.
Later this year, the club and its story of invincibility will face its biggest test yet when it plays in the AFC Champions League 2, the Asian Confederation's equivalent of the Europa League.
Unlike other countries in Central Asia, Turkmenistan has never been a soccer country and has never made a name for itself internationally.
That's despite strong financial support from the state, financed by the sale of vast oil and gas reserves.
The national team, made up mainly of Arcadag players, has not won a match since June 2022.
Turkmenistan is languishing in the bottom of the FIFA rankings, ranking 143rd out of 210.
But officials remain unfazed, saying they hope Alkadag's success will spark a turnaround.
“It's good that the players know each other,” a state sports commission official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “It strengthens their collective spirit to win.”
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