Lyon Set to Sign Yaremchuk Permanently as Ukraine Names Squad for World Cup Playoffs

Roman Yaremchuk's Move to Lyon

According to Главком: French club Olympique Lyonnais is preparing to trigger the purchase option for Ukrainian national team forward Roman Yaremchuk. Lyon initially secured Yaremchuk on loan from Greek side Olympiacos Piraeus this past winter for €1.5 million, with the buyout clause now set at approximately €5 million. Since joining Lyon, Yaremchuk has made 8 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and providing one assist. Prior to his move to France, he played 16 matches for Olympiacos, netting 4 goals and making 1 assist. This potential permanent transfer highlights the growing demand for Ukrainian talent in Europe's top leagues.

Ukraine's Squad for the 2026 World Cup Qualification Playoffs

The Ukrainian national team has called up 15 players from the domestic Premier League and 11 foreign-based players for the crucial World Cup qualification playoffs. Dynamo Kyiv contributes the most players with 6, while Shakhtar Donetsk and Polissya Zhytomyr each have 4 representatives. An additional 9 players have been named to a reserve list.

Ukraine's path to the 2026 World Cup begins with a playoff semi-final against Sweden in Valencia on March 26th. The playoff final is scheduled for March 31st. The winner of this playoff bracket will secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These matches represent a critical opportunity for Ukraine to qualify for its first World Cup since 2006.

Looking further ahead, Ukraine will begin its 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign with an away match against Hungary on September 25th. Drawn into League B, Group 2, Ukraine will compete against Hungary, Georgia, and Northern Ireland, with the group winner earning promotion to the top-tier Nations League A.

The full squad for the World Cup qualification playoffs is as follows:

• Goalkeepers: Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Dmytro Riznyk (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ruslan Neshcheret (Dynamo Kyiv).
• Defenders: Illia Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain), Oleksandr Svatok (Austin FC), Valeriy Bondar (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yukhym Konoplia (Shakhtar Donetsk), Eduard Sarapii (Polissya Zhytomyr), Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton), Oleksandr Tymchyk (Dynamo Kyiv), Bohdan Mykhaylychenko (Polissya Zhytomyr), Borys Krupskyi (Polissya Zhytomyr).
• Midfielders: Yehor Yarmoliuk (Brentford), Ivan Kalyuzhnyi (Metalist 1925), Olegh Ocheretko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Heorhiy Sudakov (Benfica), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa), Mykola Shaparenko (Dynamo Kyiv), Oleksandr Pikhalyonok (Dynamo Kyiv), Nazar Voloshyn (Dynamo Kyiv), Oleksiy Gutsulyak (Polissya Zhytomyr), Viktor Tsygankov (Girona), Oleksandr Zubkov (Trabzonspor).
• Forwards: Vladyslav Vanat (Girona), Roman Yaremchuk (Lyon), Matviy Ponomarenko (Dynamo Kyiv).

Reserve List: Yevhen Volynets, Serhiy Chobotko, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Ihor Krasnopir, Kostyantyn Vivcharenko (all Dynamo Kyiv), Volodymyr Brazhko (Dynamo Kyiv), Yehor Nazaryna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksiy Sych (Karpaty Lviv).

The potential permanent signing of Roman Yaremchuk by Lyon and the assembly of this national squad underscore the dual focus for Ukrainian football: developing players for elite European clubs while pursuing success on the international stage. The upcoming playoff matches are of paramount importance for the nation's footballing ambitions.

As Ukraine prepares for its pivotal World Cup playoff matches, the announcement of the squad by head coach Serhiy Rebrov has sparked significant interest among fans and analysts alike. This recently revealed roster not only highlights the players' capabilities but also underscores the strategic choices made in light of the upcoming challenges against Sweden, paving the way for a potential return to the World Cup stage after a long absence.