Former Ukrainian national team player Yurii Maksymov made a prediction for today’s 2026 World Cup qualifier match between France and Ukraine.
Yurii Maksymov. Photo — scdnipro1.com.ua«I am optimistic. I lean towards the belief that Ukrainians have a chance not to lose. Much will depend on whether we can neutralize the hosts' striker Mbappe, and how compactly we perform on our own territory, as the opponent skillfully utilizes the space between the lines. I hope our guys have had ample time to carefully study the strengths and weaknesses of the French, and then everything will depend on how they execute the coach’s instructions.
Why were the most experienced Matvienko and Malinovskyi not included in today’s match lineup? To give a comprehensive answer, one needs to be inside the team. Currently, it is the choice of coach Rebrov, who is responsible for the results and knows everything about the condition of his players,» Maksymov said.
