Ukraine learns potential opponents for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
On December 5th, the draw for the final stage of the 2026 World Cup took place in Washington. Although our national team has not yet secured a spot in the tournament, — as a participant in the European playoff — they already know their potential opponents in the group stage.
If the "blue-yellow" team indeed qualifies for the World Cup, they will play in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.
The path to the World Cup passes through two playoff rounds. On March 26, 2026, Ukraine will play against Sweden in the semi-final, and if they win — on March 31, they will face the winner of the Poland vs. Albania pair. The winner of this match will earn a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
The head of the Ukrainian Football Association, Andriy Shevchenko, called the draw "difficult" in his comment, but emphasized that for him now the main thing is to pass the playoff. "The main thing is to get to the World Cup. Then we will look at the opponents," he said.
Thus, although the 2026 World Cup has not yet become official for us, Ukraine already has an idea of a possible group — and is preparing for the key decisive qualifying matches.
