Ukraine defeats Iceland and advances to the playoffs of the World Cup 2026: how the legionnaires performed

The Ukrainian national football team and the European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

According to Главком: The Ukrainian national football team has completed the first stage of the European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, achieving an important victory over Iceland. The last match, which took place on December 26, 2025, ended with a score of 2:0 in favor of the Ukrainian team. The goals in this match were scored by Zubkov in the 83rd minute and Hutsuliak in the 90+3rd minute.

The performances of Ukrainian legionnaires in European clubs

It is noteworthy that against the backdrop of the qualifying round in December 2025, several Ukrainian legionnaires played in European clubs. In particular, on December 27, 2025, the 'Brentford' team won 4:1 against 'Bournemouth' in a match of the English Premier League. Ukrainian footballer Yegor Yarmolyuk provided an assist in this match.

• On December 28, 2025, the Portuguese 'Benfica' drew 2:2 with 'Braga'.
• On December 29, 2025, 'Roma' defeated 'Genoa' with a score of 3:1 in the Italian Serie A.
• In the 19th round of the EPL, 'Nottingham Forest' lost to 'Everton' with a score of 0:2.

Thanks to their successful performance in the qualifiers, the Ukrainian national team is now preparing for the semifinal playoffs of the World Cup, where they will meet the national team of Sweden on March 26, 2026.

The victory over Iceland significantly increased Ukraine's chances for a successful performance in the playoffs, where teams will compete for a spot in the World Cup. The Ukrainian national team continues to demonstrate a competitive level in international competitions, which indicates the growing quality of play and the preparation of football players. The next match against Sweden will be an important stage in the fight for qualification for the final part of the World Cup.