The analytical platform Football Meets Data has forecasted that the Ukraine national team will remain one of the favorites in the playoff qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Should the team qualify for the tournament, it will automatically find itself in the fourth pot of the draw and will face opponents from among the top teams.
According to FMD, Ukraine has a 69% chance of finishing in second place in its qualification group, significantly ahead of Iceland (30%). In the playoffs, the Ukrainians will be seeded in the first pot, giving them an advantage over their opponents; however, after successfully qualifying for the World Cup 2026, they will be among the unseeded teams.
In terms of the overall picture, the hosts of the tournament, the USA, Mexico, and Canada, as well as Argentina, Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany—are the main contenders for the trophy—are in the first pot. Croatia, Morocco, Uruguay, Colombia, Senegal, Japan, and other teams capable of remarkable surprises are placed in the second pot.
The third pot includes the national teams of Ecuador, Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan, while the fourth is given to underdogs and playoff participants—among them Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ghana, New Zealand, as well as Italy, Turkey, Serbia, and Venezuela.
Recall that the match of the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Ukraine vs. Azerbaijan unexpectedly ended with a score of 1:1. In the first game, the team under Rebrov lost to France 0:2. In the tournament table, our team shares third place with Azerbaijan with one point.
The "yellow-blues" will play their next match on October 10: at the "Laugardalsvollur" stadium in Reykjavik against the Iceland national team.
