The national football team of Ukraine ended up in the second basket during the draw for qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The tournament, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada, will be another challenge for the "blue and yellow" who will fight for a place among the best.
Key features of the draw
The drawing ceremony will take place on December 13. Serhiy Rebrov's team got to the second-strongest basket, which will determine its opponents on the way to the world championship.
The first basket included the strongest teams in Europe, including:
- Spain
- Germany
- Portugal
- France
- Italy
This list includes title rivals that Ukraine will avoid, but at the same time it will receive difficult opponents from the third or fourth basket.
Who will be Ukraine's rivals?
Ukraine will definitely not play against the teams that are also in the second basket:
- Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Norway, Romania, Turkey, Sweden, Serbia, etc.
However, possible opponents are national teams of the third basket, including Scotland, Slovenia, Georgia and Israel, as well as representatives of lower baskets - Luxembourg, Belarus, Latvia or even Moldova.
The Ukrainian national team will begin its participation in the selection no earlier than June 2025, because in March it will compete in the playoffs of the League of Nations for the right to play in the highest division of the tournament.
The second basket ensures that Ukraine will avoid several strong opponents, but the fight for a ticket to Mexico, the USA and Canada will not be easy. The success of Serhiy Rebrov's team will depend on the draw, preparation and ability to overcome strong opponents.
Ukraine has demonstrated more than once that it can fight even against the favorites, and this selection can be another chance to show character.
