Former player of the national team of Ukraine Artem Fedetskyi assessed the chances of Serhiy Rebrov’s team in the qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Artem Fedetskyi— I believe that for the Ukrainian national team it’s a normal draw. It’s unrealistic to expect to face opponents like the national teams of Liechtenstein or San Marino. But you can play and win against everyone else.
— Still, in your opinion, would it be better for the Ukrainian team to meet the French or the Croats in the qualifiers?
— In my opinion, the Croats are more dangerous, as they have shown stable high-class play for many years. The French have somewhat lost their position, possibly because they had raised the bar very high at one time. However, we need to be cautious with the Icelanders and Azerbaijanis. Believe me, there are no longer countries that cannot play football, with matches that would be easy.
— Perhaps the certain decline of the French is due to the insidious process of generational change?
— This is a delicate topic. Experts and journalists love to discuss the process of generational change, but I wouldn’t overestimate this factor. Everything depends not on how many years ago a player was active but on what level of play they demonstrate. It’s another matter when a footballer, having reached a certain age, voluntarily stops playing for the national team. Moreover, in countries like France and Croatia, with their developed football infrastructure, they do not pay attention to passport data at all. And this is despite the fact that they have many good players to choose from.
— Do the same trends observe in the Ukrainian national team?
— I think so. Serhiy Rebrov wouldn’t be an enemy to himself by not calling up Taras Stepanenko to the national team just because he is over thirty. Everything is decided based on sports principles.
— Are all our strongest players represented in the Ukrainian national team?
— I can confirm that. Therefore, I won’t recommend Rebrov to pay attention to anyone else. In my opinion, we have a fairly balanced squad, but we still need the mentality of a winner. Like that of the same Croats. Although we do have fighters in our team to look up to, particularly Illia Zabarnyi. This helps him progress.
— Is the fact that the qualifiers in our group will start in September 2025 a plus for the Ukrainians?
— Yes, because our team always demonstrates better quality football in the fall.
— Finally, try to play the role of an oracle.
— I won’t be original when I say that Serhiy Rebrov will motivate his players to conquer first place. I also believe that fulfilling this task is feasible for our guys. I just want to remind them that the qualifying tournament in our group is dynamic, so there's no time for relaxation.
Andriy Pysarenko
