Ukrainian Players Shine Across European Leagues
During the 2025/26 season, 14 Ukrainian footballers found the net in various European top-flight leagues, underscoring their growing impact abroad. Among the standout performers:
- Vladyslav Vanat - 10 goals for Girona
- Roman Yaremchuk - 9 goals while on loan at Olympiacos and Lyon
- Viktor Tsygankov - 7 goals for Girona
- Ruslan Malinovskyi - 6 goals
- Danylo Sikan - 6 goals
- Artem Stepanov - 5 goals for Utrecht
Ukraine's Squad for Upcoming Friendlies
Head coach Andrea Maldera has called up 26 players for Ukraine's friendlies in late May and June 2026. The squad is evenly split between domestic talent and overseas professionals, featuring 14 players from the Ukrainian Premier League and 12 based abroad. Notable returns include Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid) and Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kyiv), alongside potential debutants Oleksandr Romanchuk (Universitatea Craiova) and Hennadiy Synchuk (CF Montréal).
Ukraine will play two away friendlies in June 2026: against Poland on May 31 and Denmark on June 7.
The full 26-man roster:
- Goalkeepers:
- Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica)
- Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)
- Dmytro Riznyk (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Ruslan Neshcheret (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Defenders:
- Illya Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Mykola Matviyenko (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Valeriy Bondar (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Taras Mykhavko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Eduard Sarapiy (Polissya)
- Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton)
- Oleksandr Romanchuk (Universitatea Craiova)
- Midfielders:
- Oleh Ocheretko (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Artem Bondarenko (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Yehor Nazaryna (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Oleksandr Nazarenko (Polissya)
- Oleksiy Hutsulyak (Polissya)
- Mykola Shaparenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Yehor Yarmolyuk (Brentford)
- Heorhiy Sudakov (Benfica)
- Viktor Tsygankov (Girona)
- Hennadiy Synchuk (CF Montréal)
- Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa)
- Forwards:
- Roman Yaremchuk (Lyon)
- Matviy Ponomarenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Artem Dovbyk (Roma)
The strong performances of Ukrainian players across Europe highlight the nation's rising football standards. These friendlies against tough opponents like Poland and Denmark offer a crucial test for the squad ahead of upcoming international competitions, while also giving younger talents a chance to prove themselves on a bigger stage.
As the Ukrainian national team gears up for their upcoming matches, it's important to look at the broader context of their recent performances. Notably, the squad's composition reflects a mix of domestic and international talent, which is essential for their strategy against strong opponents. For a detailed overview of the full roster and insights into the players selected, check out this article on the Ukrainian national team's 26-player lineup.