UAF President Andriy Shevchenko in an interview with goal.pl evaluated the results of the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff draw, according to which the Ukrainian national team will play against Sweden in the semifinals, and if they advance, the opponent in the final will be the winner of the Poland vs Albania pair.
Andriy Shevchenko— How do you evaluate the draw results?
— I have emphasized many times that qualifying for the World Cup from the European zone is very difficult. If you look at other continents, it is clear that competition is the toughest in Europe. And there’s also the playoffs, which also feature very strong teams.
But what can be done about that? We cannot control fate. But one thing never changes: no matter who you’re playing against, you need to go out and play. And that’s the essence: we, the Ukrainian national team, must play very well if we dream of reaching the World Cup.
— Would you like to play against Poland in the playoff final, or would you prefer to avoid it?
— Of course, I would prefer to avoid meeting the Polish national team. For two reasons. Firstly, it’s a good team. And secondly... I know the president of the Polish Football Federation well, I’m acquainted with people in the Polish football community. Both the Ukrainian national team and our clubs have played many times in Poland during the war. So if it were up to me, I would prefer another opponent, not Poland. But again, we don’t influence who our opponents are, so we can’t affect who we play in the playoff final if we get there.
— I know you haven’t decided yet where you will hold your playoff matches, but perhaps you already have some plans?
— I don’t want to make hasty decisions. We will sit and think everything through. We don’t have much time to make a decision, but I don’t want to create additional pressure for myself or the federation and thereby shorten that time even further.
We have played many times in Poland and always remembered it warmly. But again: we want to make a decision calmly. We need to think everything over and decide what is best for our team.
— Let me ask the question differently: will you choose two stadiums, one for the semifinal and another for the final, or will you play both matches at the same venue?
— At this stage, I don’t want to make any public statements on this. We will analyze everything, keeping in mind what’s best for our team. However, for clarity: we are immensely grateful to Poland for what you have done and continue to do for us. From the Polish Federation, with whom I have excellent relations, to people from the football world, Polish authorities, and the citizens of Poland.
We will never forget you. I say this as Andriy Shevchenko. I speak for myself, but also for many others. Yes, recently there have been various misunderstandings, but that is natural. We were and remain close as countries and as nations. And I very much want it to stay that way. From my side, once again, thank you, Poland!
