Former forward of the Ukraine national team Olexiy Belyk shared his expectations for the national team's start in the qualifying cycle for the World Cup 2026.
Olexiy Belyk— Olexiy, what are your expectations for the opening matches of the Ukraine national team in the qualifying tournament for the World Cup 2026?
— We always have expectations that are not only positive but often exaggerated. The Ukraine national team is praised when it wins, sometimes even too much. However, we still need to approach the start of the qualifying tournament positively, despite the numerous problems within the national team.
— What positives and negatives do you see ahead of this tournament?
— I will start with the negative. The team hasn’t gathered for a long time. I don’t know how informative the gathering that took place in Canada at the beginning of summer was. It was the end of the season, players had given a lot of effort, plus the long flight. All of this leaves its mark. So whether it was useful can only be said by the coach, being inside the team.
The other point is this: we have always had leaders in the attacking line. I won’t dig deep; in the times of Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov, a bit later it was Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka. But now it’s hard to say who can become a leader. Yes, there are good players like Heorhiy Sudakov, but there’s no player who is in incredible form and can lead the team. There was Mykhailo Mudryk, who often put opponents’ defenses in a tough spot with his explosive speed. There are flanks in the form of Oleksandr Nazarenko and Olexiy Hutsulyak, but it’s too early to compare them with Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka. Perhaps I am mistaken, and in the initial qualifying rounds, players will emerge who can attract their teammates.
As for the positives, whenever a new cycle begins, young players always have a good opportunity to showcase themselves. And regardless of the condition of the Ukraine national team, in a group with France, Iceland, and Azerbaijan, we should at least be second.
— Many of our leader-legionnaires are either injured or limited in playing time. Could this pose a significant problem for the "blue-yellows" at the start of the qualifying tournament?
— Of course. Here the question also arises as to whom the coaching staff will rely on in this situation: experienced players who lack playing time, or younger players who are in form. Without practice, Alexander Zinchenko remains, but on the other hand, there’s Yehor Yarmolyuk, who is currently playing regularly. Undoubtedly, the coach wants to have the pleasant headache of choosing from all his players, but when moments arise as I mentioned above, the coach still has to guess whom to trust with a spot in the starting lineup. For some reason, I feel that a generational shift may begin in the Ukraine national team, but we can only speculate about that.
— Do you see new names for the Ukraine national team?
— Taras Mykhavko and Oleg Ocheretko have been called up to the national team. I completely agree with the coaching staff in this regard. These guys have potential. However, it will be difficult for Taras to compete with Mykola Matviyenko, who is currently in form and at the peak of his strength. And it’s unlikely that Serhiy Rebrov will place two left-footed players in the center of defense since Illia Zabarnyi is out of competition.
I would also like to draw attention to the youth national team, where I noted the defender Illia Krupskiy. The same Artem Bondarenko, but he is already being called up to the national team. Perhaps Vladislav Veletien, who, as we understand, is transitioning from "Koloss" to "Polissia". He could be tried as a winger. It’s clear that in the near future, the attention will focus on players who perform well in the Ukrainian championship, but not much time has passed to make any predictions.
— Could the first match against France be key for the "blue-yellows"?
— Starting the tournament with a positive result always gives a push to some achievements; moreover, psychologically, it will be a huge plus for Serhiy Rebrov’s team. This could also put additional pressure on our other group opponents.
— What is your prediction for the outcome of Ukraine’s performances in the qualification?
— If we talk about skill and experience, we are favorites in the battle for second place in the group, but that doesn’t mean we can’t compete with the strongest national team in our quartet. At the same time, it’s important to understand that the Ukraine national team has no room for error in matches against Iceland and Azerbaijan, as the status of the second team can be quickly lost.
