Dynamo defender and Ukraine national team player Taras Mykhavko commented on the broadcast of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match against France (0:4).
Taras Mykhavko (photo: uaf.ua)— Although the score is unpleasant, is today still a special day for you personally?
— Thank you very much for the congratulations. Yes, of course. For me, it is truly a day of a dream that came true today. Although the result slightly spoiled the emotions, it’s nothing serious. I want to thank the fans at the stadium and everyone who supported us in front of their screens. Special thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win, but we tried. Maybe we lacked a bit of luck, but more patience. But that’s football. We played against one of the strongest teams in the world, so we move on.
— You were supposed to play for U-21 but ended up against Mbappe. How do you assess your debut?
— Of course, it is very nice to play against such footballers. When you face them on the field, you immediately understand your real level and where you still need to grow. I think I played a decent match, but I don’t want to evaluate myself — that’s not my job. Overall, we played well in the first half, executing the coach’s plan precisely. In the second half, we somehow faltered, conceded a penalty… I believe the moment was debatable. For them — 50/50, for us — also 50/50. I felt that I played the ball, but they didn’t even look at VAR. But that’s football, and such things happen. We need to keep moving forward.
— How do you personally assess the penalty incident?
— Everything happened very quickly. I really felt a touch on the ball — and simultaneously a slight touch on the opponent’s leg. I’m not hiding anything. I’ll watch the replay and analyze the moment. If I made a mistake, I’ll admit it. But once again, I say: this is football, such situations occur. There’s an important match ahead, so we’re preparing and only thinking about it.
