Former player of the Ukrainian national team, Volodymyr Mykytyn, made a prediction for today’s World Cup 2026 qualifying match between France and Ukraine.
Volodymyr Mykytyn«I have repeatedly had to participate in confrontations with the French. And they have always been considered favorites, but this did not prevent Ukrainians from not losing battles against them. Although back then, our opponents had stars like Deschamps, Zidane, Vieira, Anelka, Blanc; on the other hand, we had one of the best squads in the history of our domestic football: Shevchenko, Rebrov, Luzhny, Maksymov.
Over time, the alignments on the football map have not changed. The positions of the French in the hierarchy remain visibly higher. Moreover, in my opinion, the difference in player class has become even more pronounced, with the likes of Mbappé.
But in any situation, there is always a chance, so let’s be optimistic. I agree, France is a top team, but we also have experienced, qualified players. The coaching staff is keeping up with developments, and I am convinced they have already identified the players who can compete with the hosts.
Of course, competing with them in an open battle is not advisable: the French are individually stronger. Also, there’s no need to park any 'buses' by our goal. Our 'trump cards' are ironclad game discipline, aggressiveness in the midfield, prepared set-piece plays, and to some extent, luck. If we demonstrate our best qualities, it should be enough to avoid losing. In the current situation, this would be a great achievement for Rebrov’s team,» said Mykytyn.
