Ukraine’s Women’s Team Falls to England but Advances to 2027 World Cup Playoffs

Setbacks for Both Ukrainian National Teams

According to Главком: Ukraine’s women’s football team suffered a 0–3 loss to England in the final round of 2027 World Cup qualifying, a Group A3 match where the Ukrainian side could not match their opponents. Goals came from Carter (14th minute), Stanway (37th minute), and Mead (67th minute). This defeat left the Ukrainian women’s team at the bottom of Group A3 standings.

Despite their poor group performance, Ukraine’s women’s team secured a spot in Path 2 of the World Cup 2027 qualifying playoffs. In the first playoff round, they will be seeded, with potential opponents including:

• Finland
• Belgium
• Turkey
• Czech Republic
• Albania
• Northern Ireland
• Slovakia
• Israel

Ukraine will be unseeded in the second playoff round. The draws for both rounds of the qualifying playoffs are scheduled for June 18. First-round matches will take place between October 7 and 13, 2026, while second-round games are set for November 26 to December 5, 2026.

Men’s Team Also Loses

In addition, Ukraine’s men’s team lost 1–3 to Sweden in the semifinal of the 2026 World Cup playoffs, a Path B matchup. Ponomarenko scored for Ukraine in the 90+1 minute, but three goals from Gyökeres (6th, 51st, and 72nd minutes) sealed the win for Sweden. As a result, both Ukrainian national teams ended their World Cup qualifying campaigns with outcomes falling short of their ambitions.

These results highlight a challenging period for Ukrainian football, as neither team achieved its goals in the qualifying tournaments.

The women’s team, despite the loss, still has a chance to compete in the playoffs, opening up new possibilities for reaching the World Cup. The men’s team, however, failed to overcome the obstacles on the path to the final tournament, a situation that calls for further analysis and improvements in team preparation. Both cases underscore the need for a strategic approach to developing football in Ukraine and building teams that can compete on the international stage.

While the women’s football team navigates its path to the 2027 World Cup playoffs, the success of other Ukrainian teams in international competitions also garners attention. Recently, Ukraine's 3x3 basketball team made headlines by securing a spot in the quarterfinals of their World Cup, showcasing the resilience and talent present in Ukrainian sports despite the challenges faced by the national teams.