Former striker of several Ukrainian clubs Maxim Feshchuk shared his thoughts on Ukraine’s victory over Iceland (2:0) in the final, 6th round of the group stage of the World Cup 2026 qualifying tournament, which brought the «blue-yellows» to the playoffs.
Maxim Feshchuk— The match was tense and tough, but considering the result, it was of good quality. And that’s the main thing. I never doubted the result. Why did I believe Ukraine would push through, capitalize on opportunities, and also play quality defense with zero goals against.
Therefore, I am happy to congratulate our national team on making it to the playoffs and the opportunity to participate in the World Cup.
— Considering the match was really difficult, and Trubin’s spectacular save shortly before Zubkov’s goal only confirms that we were close to an opposite result. How deserved is this victory?
— It is absolutely deserved. Trubin’s job is to make saves and rescue the team, so he is a great goalkeeper. Understand, the psychological advantage before the game was on the side of the Icelanders since a draw suited them. We needed only a win. Therefore, the stronger team advances, after all, Ukraine beat Iceland twice.
Well done, honestly, very well done. I liked the work of the coaching staff. I noted for myself after the match against France, seeing the lineup choice, and understanding that a certain group of players was resting and preparing for the final match against Iceland. Again, I say: they showed character, will, faith, and skill deservedly. We can only praise our guys here.
— How correct is it to say that the pre-match pressure of the result helped the Ukrainian side? You mentioned the coaching staff’s decision on France when they fielded a reserve lineup, conserving energy for Iceland. It’s a risky gamble — failure in yesterday’s game would have quickly reminded us that we didn’t fully commit there, where we could have fought for important points. A lot was at stake.
— All the guys are used to playing under pressure, it is a normal phenomenon. Professional footballers must play under pressure. Some under more, some under less. Different championships and clubs have different tasks, but they need to be fulfilled. So this is absolutely normal.
However, I disagree that it was a reserve lineup against France. There was no reserve or main lineup. Simply put, other players with different profiles were chosen and, let’s say, a slightly different game model against the French — with the expectation that we would have to play the first number against Iceland. You see, this decision absolutely justified itself. And no matter what anyone says, Ukraine deservedly and rightly pushed through, created those opportunities.
The Icelanders also created problems for us. But if you compare our first game with Iceland and the second, you know, Iceland was of higher quality in the first game. Perhaps it is thanks to our team not letting them play out as in the first match. And the second half — Iceland was practically defending itself. We pressed, pushed, waited, and capitalized on opportunities. The substitutions worked very well. Those who came on added strength. Yesterday, everything went according to plan.
— Should we credit the coaching staff entirely for their calculation and successful plan? Isn’t there a need, remembering past unsuccessful decisions, to «raise to the heavens» Rebrov and his assistants?
— No, we don’t need to raise them to the heavens. They just did their job very well. The players fulfilled the setup, and the strategy chosen for these two games worked very well. We are in the playoffs. We’re not saying we should have finished first, that’s ridiculous. We took second place — it seems to me the task is accomplished, nine points out of ten. There is confidence that we will do well in the playoffs too if we play like we did yesterday.
— Regarding the playoffs. The list of potential opponents for Ukraine is partially known. Which opponent would you like to face?
— I like it when we play against Macedonia. There are few chances we will face Italy, so it seems to me that all teams are equal. Because I never thought Iceland would play football so well. Everyone knows how to play football.
Of course, there are performers, there is a certain level, style of play, but I say — it all depends on us. If there are no teams at the level of France, then our chance is very, very good.
— After the game with Iceland, Tsigankov’s influence on it is being noted, his level of individual skill. How decisive was it — having a player capable of leading the team’s attacks with his level?
— Definitely, I agree with this one hundred percent. The individual qualities of his skill are at such a high level, honestly! His level is immediately visible. He is one of the players in the Ukraine team who makes a difference. A high-class player. Very fast, explosive footballer, skillful, creative, just class! Enjoyed it.
