Ukraine's National Team Begins 2026 World Cup Preparations, Tracking Key Players Abroad

Ukraine's Squad Gears Up for the 2026 World Cup

According to Главком: As Ukraine's national team commences its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the performances of its players based abroad are under close scrutiny. Over the recent match weekend from January 23 to 26, ten Ukrainian footballers playing for foreign clubs delivered a mixed bag of results in their respective league fixtures.

How Ukraine's Foreign-Based Players Fared

• On January 23, Oleksandr Zubkov played the full match and scored a goal for Trabzonspor in their 2:1 victory over Kasimpasa in the 19th round of the Turkish Super Lig.

• Also on the 23rd, Illia Zabarnyi completed the full 90 minutes for Paris Saint-Germain in their 1:0 win against Auxerre in France's Ligue 1.

• Roman Yaremchuk came on as a substitute in the 64th minute for Olympiacos on January 24, contributing to a 1:0 win over Volos in the Greek Super League.

• Yehor Yarmolyuk, playing for Brentford, was substituted in the 81st minute and received a yellow card in a 0:2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League on January 25.

• That same day, Oleksandr Zinchenko was not included in the matchday squad. Ruslan Malinovskyi, featuring for Genoa, entered the game in the 55th minute and scored a goal in a 3:2 victory over Bologna in Italy's Serie A.

• Anatolii Trubin played the entire match for Benfica, while Heorhiy Sudakov was substituted in the 73rd minute during a 4:0 win against Estrela Amadora in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

• On January 26, Vitalii Mykolenko completed the full match for Everton in a 1:1 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League.

• Viktor Tsyhankov and Vladyslav Vanat both played full matches for Girona in a 1:1 draw with Getafe in Spain's La Liga, with Vanat picking up a yellow card.

Ukraine has concluded the initial phase of European qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The team's final match of this stage was a 2:0 victory over Iceland, with goals from Zubkov in the 83rd minute and Hutsuliak in stoppage time. The team must now navigate a challenging playoff path to secure their spot at the tournament.

The playoff draw has set a crucial semifinal against Sweden for March 26, 2025. A victory there would pit Ukraine against the winner of the Poland vs. Albania match in the final playoff. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across three nations in North America, a significant logistical and competitive challenge for all qualifying teams.

The national team's World Cup preparations are gaining momentum, buoyed by the solid club form demonstrated by many of its overseas players.

The positive result against Iceland provides a valuable morale boost ahead of the decisive playoff matches. These upcoming fixtures represent the final and most critical hurdle for Ukraine to clear in its quest to reach the North American-hosted World Cup.