The Ukrainian national football team started their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with a defeat. In a nominally home match, the "blue and yellows" lost to the favorite of Group D, the French team, UNN reports.
Details
Didier Deschamps' team predictably started stronger, and already in the 10th minute, Olise opened the scoring - 1:0.
Even in the first half, the French could have doubled their lead, but Olise and Mbappé did not take advantage of their opportunities.
After the break, Serhiy Rebrov's proteges played much more convincingly. In the middle of the second half, Dovbyk and Zabarnyi had excellent chances to score.
But the last word remained with France: in the 82nd minute, Mbappé set the final score - 2:0.
The Ukrainians will play their next match on September 9 away against the Azerbaijan team.
Reference
The final tournament of the 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. From Europe, the winners of their groups will qualify, while teams that finish second will compete for a ticket to the World Cup in the playoffs.