Ukraine’s Women’s Futsal Team Learns Its Opponents for the Youth Olympic Games

Draw for the 4th Youth Olympic Games

According to Главком: The first official draw for the 4th Youth Olympic Games, set to take place in Dakar, Senegal, was held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Ukraine’s women’s futsal team now knows its group-stage rivals. For the first time ever, the futsal tournament will feature full gender parity among participants, marking a significant milestone for women in sports.

A total of 16 teams will compete-eight boys’ squads and eight girls’ squads. Ukraine’s women’s team has been placed in Group A, where it will face Senegal, Fiji, and Colombia. Group B consists of Italy, Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Iran. The futsal competition runs from November 1 to 12, 2026, and includes 32 matches in total-16 for girls and 16 for boys. Group-stage games will be held at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop, while the semifinals and medal matches will take place at the Dakar Arena. The girls’ teams will kick off the futsal program at the Games.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Meanwhile, the football world has also finalized the participants and group composition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately, Ukraine’s national football team lost 1–3 to Sweden in the semifinal playoff match for World Cup qualification. Group A of the 2026 World Cup includes:

• Mexico
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Czech Republic

Group B consists of:

• Canada
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Qatar
• Switzerland

Group C features Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland, while Group D includes the United States, Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. Group E is made up of Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador, and Group F contains the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. Group G consists of Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, while Group H includes Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Group I features France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, and Group J includes Argentina, Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Group K is composed of Portugal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia, while Group L includes England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to the round of 16. These events highlight the ongoing growth of both youth and professional football in Ukraine and around the world.

The Youth Olympic Games draw underscores the importance of gender equality in sports, which can help encourage more girls to take up athletic activities. Ukraine’s women’s futsal team also plays a key role in promoting futsal among young people in the country.

In a remarkable display of talent, Ukraine's U-16 girls' team recently triumphed over Turkey in a tense penalty shootout at the UEFA Development Tournament. This victory not only highlights the growing strength of Ukrainian women's football but also sets an encouraging precedent ahead of the upcoming futsal tournament. For more insights on this thrilling match and its implications for the future of Ukrainian women's sports, check out our coverage here.