FIFA World Cup 2026: who and when will the Ukrainian national team play?
6 December 05:00
The official draw for the final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place in Washington, DC. FIFA has announced the lineup of all 12 groups of the tournament, which will have 48 participants for the first time in history. Ukraine has not yet guaranteed itself a ticket, but has received potential rivals in case of successful playoffs. The results are published on the website of the International Football Federation (FIFA), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
New format of the 2026 World Cup: how the teams were distributed
The tournament will be attended by:
- 42 teams that have already qualified;
- 2 winners of the intercontinental playoffs;
- 4 winners of European head-to-head matches, including Ukraine.
FIFA has divided the participants into 12 groups (A-L) of four teams each. The top two will advance to the playoffs, as well as the top eight third-place finishers for the first time in the history of the tournament.
What group will Ukraine be in if it qualifies for the 2026 World Cup?
In case of successful passage of the head-to-head matches, the Ukrainian national team will play in Group F, where it will be waiting for:
- Netherlands
- Tunisia
- Japan.
Ukraine’s path to the World Cup: what needs to be done
To qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Rebrov’s team needs to:
- Beat Sweden in the first playoff match.
- Defeat the winner of the Poland-Albania match in the final match for the ticket.
Only in the case of two victories will Ukraine receive a quota to participate in the World Cup.
Calendar of Ukraine’s matches in Group F (if the team qualifies)
If the national team qualifies, the 2026 World Cup will have the following schedule:
- june 14, 2026 – match against Tunisia
- june 20, 2026 – match with the Netherlands
- june 25, 2026 – match with Japan
These dates have already been officially published by FIFA.
Where and when the 2026 World Cup will take place
The tournament will be hosted by three countries at once:
- USA
- Canada
- Mexico
The matches will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, at 16 stadiums in 16 cities.
How Ukraine played in the qualifiers
- on November 13, France beat Ukraine 4-0.
- on November 16, the Ukrainians won an important victory over Iceland, which left them with a chance to qualify for the playoffs.
Now everything depends on two decisive matches in 2025.
