Legendary former defender of Kyiv’s Dynamo Oleg Kuznetsov shared his impressions of the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs, where Ukraine’s national team will face Sweden in the semifinals, and in case of success, the winner of the Poland vs. Albania match in the final.
Oleg Kuznetsov (photo: gettyimages.com)
— Overall, not the best draw for Ukraine’s national team. Regarding our semifinal opponent, we must beat Sweden. Yes, the Swedes have quite a few decent players, including those from the Premier League, like 'Arsenal' and 'Liverpool', but their team play in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was not impressive…
Besides, they changed their coach along the way, and still barely made it to these playoffs. I understand that they are not an easy opponent, and I am surprised why they performed like this in the qualifiers. Ukraine’s coaching staff will analyze all the nuances of Sweden’s game in detail. In the spring, it will be quite convenient for us to play against them since, in March, Ukrainian legionnaires will be in good shape, and I think 'Shakhtar' and 'Dynamo' players will also get in shape.
— What do you think about the Poland — Albania matchup, whose winner Ukrainians will face in the playoff final?
— Poland is the most difficult opponent for Ukraine’s national team among all potential ones. It’s a very unfavorable draw for us. Why do I highlight Poland? Because the Poles are clear favorites in their confrontation with Albania. Albania also has quite a few quality players playing for strong European clubs. Recently, the Albanian national team has been slightly missing something to qualify for the Euros or the World Cup. However, the Polish national team, I repeat, is even stronger than Albania.
— Does the fact that Ukraine’s national team will play both playoff matches at a nominally home stadium benefit us?
— With Sweden — yes. Although, considering the status of the match, we can expect that there will be a lot of Swedish fans at the arena in Poland. But, if we beat Sweden, playing against those same Poles in Poland is obviously not going to happen… We’ll have to choose a different location. It’s possible that some stadium in Spain, where we have already played, will be our home. Therefore, selecting semi-home venues for the playoffs will be a headache for Ukraine’s coaching staff.
Oleh Semenchenko
