Former Ukrainian national team midfielder Dmytro Mykhailenko shared his thoughts on the prospects of the Ukrainian national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs. Recall, in the semifinal of this stage, the «yellow-blue» will play against Sweden, and if successful, they will face the winner of the Poland-Albania pair in the final.
Dmytro Mykhailenko. Photo — uaf.ua— Dmytro Stanislavovych, what do you say about Ukraine’s opponents in the 2026 World Cup playoffs?
— What can I say, these are probably some of the strongest opponents that were in their pots during the draw.
— Our first opponent is Sweden. It’s a team with a name...
— I agree. As of today, they are not in the best condition, but there’s still a lot of time before our head-to-head game. A new coach has joined the team, so by March, a lot could change for them.
— It used to be said that spring matches were difficult for us. But with many players in our team now coming from foreign leagues, does that add confidence?
— I wouldn’t emphasize that at all. These are journalistic stereotypes. I don’t think it’s related to fitness form.
— What’s most important for the Ukrainian national team?
— That all our key players competing in foreign leagues are healthy.
— Who has a better chance of winning?
— The chances for Ukraine and Sweden to reach the playoff finals are equal, just as they are for all other pairs at this stage of the competition.
Serhiy Demianchuk
