Ukraine's World Cup Playoff Squad Announced by Rebrov, Two Players Could Make Debuts

Ukraine's Squad for World Cup Qualifying Playoff

According to Главком: Ukraine's head coach, Serhiy Rebrov, has named a 23-man squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff match. The Ukrainian national team will face Sweden on 26.03.2026 in Valencia, Spain. The squad list includes two players who could make their senior international debuts: Ruslan Neshcheret and Matvii Ponomarenko. This crucial playoff is part of the final European qualifying path for the expanded 2026 tournament.

The 23-player selection for the Sweden match excludes three individuals: Yukhym Konoplia and Ruslan Malinovskyi are both suspended for one game, while Borys Krushynskyi has also been left out.

Team Roster

The full squad is as follows:

• Goalkeepers: Anatolii Trubin, Dmytro Riznyk, Ruslan Neshcheret
• Defenders: Illia Zabarnyi, Oleksandr Svatok, Valerii Bondar, Eduard Sarapii, Vitalii Mykolenko, Oleksandr Tymchyk, Bohdan Mykhailichenko
• Midfielders: Yehor Yarmoliuk, Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, Oleh Ocheretko, Heorhiy Sudakov, Mykola Shaparenko, Oleksandr Pikhalionok, Nazar Voloshyn, Oleksii Hutsuliak, Viktor Tsyhankov, Oleksandr Zubkov
• Forwards: Vladyslav Vanat, Roman Yaremchuk, Matvii Ponomarenko

The final of this World Cup qualifying playoff is scheduled for 31.03.2026. The winner of this mini-tournament will secure a place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In other upcoming fixtures, Ukraine will begin its 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign with an away match against Hungary on September 25th. For that competition, Ukraine has been drawn into League B, Group 2, alongside Hungary, Georgia, and Northern Ireland.

The Ukrainian national team is currently preparing for this pivotal match, which could determine their participation in the 2026 World Cup. The squad selection highlights the integration of young talents who are expected to increase competition for starting places. The playoff against Sweden is anticipated to draw significant attention from football fans, given both nations' strong traditions in the sport.

As the Ukrainian national team gears up for their pivotal playoff match against Sweden, the stakes are incredibly high. This semi-final clash not only represents a chance to advance further in the World Cup qualifiers but also showcases the potential debut of two promising players. For a deeper look into the significance of this matchup and what it means for Ukraine's chances, check out our detailed analysis of Ukraine's upcoming playoff against Sweden.