The most unexpected thing for me at today's Uzbekistan vs. Spain game in Paris was that almost the entire stadium was cheering for us. The French fans were strongly supporting Uzbekistan. During the break, there was a line of French people waiting to wear our country's flag and take photos. Many of them came with body art in our flag's colors, wearing "Uzbekistan" t-shirts, and carrying other merchandise. After the match, I walked down the Champs-Élysées wrapped in our flag, and people kept shouting "O'zbekiston!" at me. As I passed a restaurant, a waiter stopped me and asked how the game went. I told him, and he said, "It's okay, you'll still win," and everyone at the tables applauded. Whether you love football or not, this is very important cultural diplomacy. That's why I'm here.