Ukraine's National Teams in World Cup Qualification
Ukraine's men's and women's national football teams are currently competing in their respective World Cup qualification campaigns for the 2026 and 2027 tournaments. The women's team had a difficult opening match in their Group A3 qualifier, suffering a 6-1 defeat to England. Kalinina scored Ukraine's lone goal in the 58th minute, while England's Russo (47, 51), Stanway (64 (p), 70), and Park (78, 89) demonstrated their dominance on the pitch.
The 2027 Women's World Cup will be hosted by Brazil from June 24 to July 25. European qualification is a three-stage process, with the group stage matches scheduled for:
- March 3 and 7
- April 14 and 18
- June 5 and 9, 2026
Ukraine's women's team is competing in League A, where the winners of the four groups will earn direct qualification to the World Cup. Play-off rounds to determine the remaining European participants are scheduled for October-December 2026 and February 2027.
Ukraine's Men's National Team
Meanwhile, the men's national team is approaching the end of its qualification cycle with positive momentum. Their most recent qualifier was a 2-0 victory over Iceland, with goals scored by Zubkov in the 83rd minute and Hutsuliak in the 90+3rd minute.
The men's team is also preparing for a play-off semi-final, where they will face Sweden on March 26, 2026. Their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup is taking place in Group D, adding further intrigue to the upcoming fixtures.
Overall, the 2027 Women's World Cup will feature 29 direct qualification spots, with 11 allocated to Europe. An additional three spots for European teams will be contested in the play-offs. Among the participating nations, Brazil qualifies automatically as host, with the remaining slots distributed among other confederations:
- Asia - 6
- Africa - 4
- CONCACAF - 4
- South America - 3
- Oceania - 1
In upcoming qualification fixtures, the Ukrainian women's team will face:
- Spain (07.03.2026)
- Iceland (14.04.2026)
- Spain again (18.04.2026)
- Iceland again (05.06.2026)
- England (09.06.2026)
These matches will be decisive in determining the team's prospects for advancing to the World Cup. The women's team must improve their results in the coming matches to have a realistic chance of qualification, while the men's team's consistent performance boosts their hopes for success in the play-offs. Competing on the international stage remains crucial for the development of football in Ukraine, and the outcomes for both national teams could significantly influence the country's future sporting prospects.