Azerbaijan drew with Ukraine (1:1) in the World Cup 2026 qualifying match and, according to local fans, still has a chance for second place in the group. Azerbaijanis acknowledge that Ukraine played better and had more chances to win, but they note the character of their team, which lost to Iceland 0:5 in the last match, but managed to regroup and please the fans at home by equalizing and maintaining a positive result.
Azerbaijanis hope that this draw will be the first step out of the crisis. In the next matches against Ukraine and Iceland, the Azerbaijani national team could aim for victory.
Emin: After losing 0:5 to Iceland, this draw feels like a small victory. I’m glad the team managed to pull themselves together. It’s evident that Ukraine was stronger. But we fought and got the maximum from the match. Well done!
Miraziz: I thought that after the heavy defeat in Iceland, the guys would lack motivation. But today I saw a different team. Of course, we could have lost, but the main thing is that we didn’t hang our heads and got one point.
Aliev: A good reaction to the failure. It’s important that the team knows how to take a hit. Ukraine has more resources, but we showed character. That’s also a result. I believe that the draw is absolutely fair. Ukraine pressed, but we found the strength to respond.
Elman: For us, it was more important not to lose psychologically after the humiliation from Iceland in the first round of qualifying. And we managed to do that. I am pleased that the team fought until the end. This is what we were missing.
Rzaev: We are starting to build a new national team. And such matches are the building blocks in its foundation. Today I saw passion in the players’ eyes. That’s valuable. We have taken a step forward. We must continue to fight.
Deyanet: Ukraine is strong, but we weren’t afraid. Respect to our guys. I think now the players will believe in themselves. This result is important psychologically. After such a match, fans start to believe that the team is capable of more.
Huseyn: Ukraine controlled the ball, but we controlled our emotions. And we did not break. This is a situation where a draw feels like a victory. The main thing is that we showed: we have a team that is ready to fight and has not lost its chances for second place.
Azad: I don’t want to predict, but perhaps this is the beginning of a new path. I am proud of our players. They showed the character of real men. Yes, technically we were inferior to Ukraine, but in spirit we were stronger.
Yasin: Ukraine could have scored more, but our defense fought until the end. Even a draw against Ukraine is a step forward for us. It’s very important that the team didn’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
Guliyev: After the defeat to Iceland, I feared the worst. But the result pleasantly surprised me. Thank you to our guys for their dedication. If we play like this consistently, victories will come. Perhaps we can beat Ukraine in the second match.
Tariel: So it turns out that Iceland is five times stronger than Ukraine? Or how do you explain such a significant difference in these two matches? It’s clear that we have a new coach, and that always brings new emotions, but I expected more from Ukraine.
Kenani: Ukraine created so many chances, controlled the ball for so long, and still didn’t win. It’s funny. We have been in crisis for many years, while they have a star-studded lineup. Nevertheless, the result is the same for both teams.
Perviz: It’s nice to see a team that fights and doesn’t give up in matches against strong opponents. Today we showed that we can overcome difficult situations. I think this match will go down in history as a turning point.
Isahan: With such a weak Ukraine, we could have won. We needed to play bolder in attack; the Ukrainians often made mistakes, especially towards the end of the match, and we should have punished them for that.
Atahanov: Ukraine has forgotten how to win. It’s funny that everyone before the match called Ukraine the clear favorite, but in the end, this so-called favorite showed nothing and couldn’t beat Azerbaijan.
Jafarov: If Ukraine continues like this, they won’t achieve anything in qualifying. I thought they would compete with France for first place in our group, but now I see they will be fighting with Azerbaijan to avoid finishing last.
Shamil: It’s surprising that a team with such a roster couldn’t squeeze us out. They have a goalkeeper, strikers, defenders — all playing for top European clubs from Spain, England, Italy, and so on. And what’s the point?
Gasanov: Perhaps the Ukrainians thought before the match that it would be a stroll in Baku and an easy victory. But against Iceland, they didn’t surprise us at all. If our footballers had believed in themselves, they could have aimed for victory today.
Anar: In fact, both teams are in crisis right now, so the final result is predictable. Ukraine hasn’t pleased its fans for a long time, but a draw is a normal result for them based on such a game.
Samed: Ukraine looked strong only on paper. Our crisis is evident, but Ukraine’s situation is not any better. I think they also need to change their coach to start playing better. They should take a page from Azerbaijan. We need Ukraine to take points from Iceland to maintain hope for second place.
Kamran: The match showed that both teams are still far from a good level. We have our problems, and they have theirs. The crisis has been going on for years — for both us and Ukraine. This match is a battle of two teams lacking stability.
Elshan: Ukraine is also searching for itself, and I don’t think this is due to the war. The draw is justified — both teams suffer from the same problems. The results of recent years speak for themselves.
Memmedov: They have better players, but the crisis is even deeper than ours, because with such strong footballers, Ukraine should be competing on equal terms with France, not Azerbaijan.
Ilhan: Iceland crushed us 5:0, while Ukraine barely left with a draw. The conclusion is obvious — Iceland is stronger. Ukraine was supposed to show its high class but looked much weaker than the Icelanders.
Jusif: After the game against Iceland, I expected a rout, but it turned out that Ukraine is not at their level. Iceland is a machine. Ukraine is just an ordinary team with serious game problems.
Nadir: The result speaks for itself: Iceland 5:0, Ukraine 1:1. Now it can be confidently said — Iceland is much stronger than Ukraine, so I am sure that the Icelanders will take second place in the group.
Qahram: If Ukraine had played against Iceland, I’m sure they would have lost. Perhaps not 0:5 like us, but they would have lost as well. Iceland showed real football, while the Ukrainians just talked a lot before the match.
Rasim: The level of Iceland and Ukraine is like night and day. Against Iceland, we didn’t even compete, but we played decently against Ukraine. Comparing these matches, Iceland is twice as powerful.
Maik: It was scary with the Icelanders, but calm with Ukraine. I think Ukraine would also have conceded five goals to Iceland. Ukraine is weaker than I expected, especially after the game with France, where they played much better.
Bayram: The level of football among the Icelanders is higher than that of Ukraine. I thought they would tear us apart, but they didn’t show anything special. Ukraine had a lot of ball possession, but created few threats. Against Iceland, they looked very mediocre.
Dmitry Malyanov