Ukraine U-18 Squad Announced for Two Friendlies Against Italy

Ukraine U-18 Squad Gathers for Training Camp in Rome

According to Главком: The Ukraine U-18 national football team, comprised of players born in 2008, will hold a training camp in Rome from February 13th to 20th, 2026. During this camp, the team will play two friendly matches against the Italy U-18 side. The Ukrainian squad is under the management of head coach Dmytro Mykhailenko.

A squad of 22 players has been called up for these friendlies against the Italian team. The matches are scheduled for February 17th at 15:30 and February 19th at 12:00.

Preparing for Major Competitions

These friendlies serve as crucial preparation for the team's upcoming competitive fixtures. The Ukrainian youth team is also preparing for the first round of qualification for Euro 2027 (U-19), where they will compete in Group A3 alongside the Czech Republic, Finland, and Estonia. The group stage tournament will take place in Finland from March 25th to 31st. Additionally, in the semi-final playoff for the 2026 World Cup qualification on March 26th, 2026, Ukraine will face Sweden. A victory would see them play the winner of the Poland vs. Albania match in the final.

In the World Cup qualification path, Ukraine has already secured a 2:0 victory over Iceland. The goals in that match were scored by Artem Zubkov in the 83rd minute and Vitaliy Hutsuliak in the 90+3rd minute.

Ukraine U-18 National Team Squad

The full squad for the Ukraine U-18 national team is as follows:

• Goalkeepers: Kyrylo Khadasevych (Wolfsburg, Germany), Fedir Tkachenko (Betis, Spain).
• Defenders: Yehor Kostiuk, Nikita Kaliuzhnyi, Yaroslav Mylokost, Oleksandr Balakai (all – Shakhtar Donetsk), Danylo Ogorodnyk (Dynamo Kyiv), Arsen Zalyipka (Rukh Lviv), Vladyslav Halii (Polissya Zhytomyr), Yehor Sherstiuk (Metalist Kharkiv), Mykyta Melnyk (Napoli, Italy).
• Midfielders: Artem Zubrii (Shakhtar Donetsk), Pavlo Lusin, Arsenii Fedorenko (both – Dynamo Kyiv), Mukhammad Jurabayev (Rukh Lviv), Illia Kutia (Hajduk, Croatia), Maksym Tsymbaliuk (Wisła, Poland).
• Forwards: Ivan Andreyko (Dynamo Kyiv), Matvii Bodnar (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Dmytro Zudin (Hajduk, Croatia), Vitaliy Hlush (Chicago Fire, USA), Kyryll Serdiuk (Stuttgart, Germany).

This training camp represents a vital stage in the Ukraine U-18 team's preparation for future challenges, specifically the Euro 2027 qualifiers and the World Cup qualification playoffs. The matches against the Italian team will provide the players with valuable experience and help improve team cohesion ahead of critical competitive games. The performances in these friendlies could influence the final squad selection for the upcoming tournaments.