The year 2025 for the Ukrainian national team brought high-scoring thrillers with five goals and frustrating stalemates where we couldn’t find the net at all. At the end of the year, Ukraine sits 28th in the FIFA World Rankings and 14th among European nations. Kyiv Post looks back at the national team’s performance over the past year: a journey of fantastic triumphs and painful defeats.
For Serhiy Rebrov’s men, the year began with high-stakes Nations League playoffs for a spot in the elite division. Their opponent was a star-studded and aggressive Belgian side.
The first leg took place on March 20 in Murcia, Spain – a true football spectacle. Both teams played on the front foot, constantly seeking openings. However, the intensity took its toll, forcing Ukraine into three injury substitutions: Yukhym Konoplya, Oleksiy Sych, and Ivan Kalyuzhnyi. In the 40th minute, Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock, putting the “Red Devils” ahead.
The Ukrainians returned for the second half fired up. In the 66th minute, Oleksiy Hutsulyak scored his debut goal for the national team. Fuelled by momentum, Vladyslav Vanat and Illia Zabarnyi added two more goals in a blistering five-minute spell. Ukraine held on for a spectacular victory, sparking widespread talk of guaranteed promotion. But football is rarely that simple.
Three days later in Genk, the script flipped. The first half was a gritty affair dominated by fouls and yellow cards. Needing only to avoid a heavy defeat, Ukraine played defensively, but the strategy failed to pay off. The ticket to the elite division was decided in a nightmare 16-minute window, during which Belgium struck three times. Ukraine had no response. The first window of 2025 ended in an emotional swing from triumph to collapse.
In June, Ukraine participated in a new international friendly tournament: the Canadian Shield (Tournament of Four), alongside Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, and New Zealand.
The decision to participate sparked debate in the Ukrainian media. Some praised the international exposure, while others questioned the long-distance travel ahead of World Cup qualifiers.
Against a strong Canadian side, Rebrov fielded his best 11 players. However, they were overwhelmed early on, trailing 4-0 by halftime. Late goals from Zabarnyi and Oleksandr Zinchenko made the 4-2 scoreline more respectable, but the performance left much to be desired.
A rotated squad faced New Zealand (ranked 86th). Despite the rankings gap, the “All Whites” defended stoutly until Hutsulyak broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. New Zealand equalized shortly after, but a 75th-minute strike from Zinchenko secured a 2-1 win. Ukraine finished the tournament in second place behind hosts Canada.
The autumn brought the most critical stage of the last three years. On Sept. 5, Ukraine began its World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign against the group’s heavyweight, France. Despite a brave effort and several chances, Ukraine fell 2-0.
There was no time to mourn; on Sept. 9, Ukraine faced Azerbaijan in Baku. And as every Ukrainian fan knows – never be certain of the result until the final whistle.
It remains a mystery how the “Blue and Yellows” managed only one goal against Shahruddin Magomedaliyev. Azerbaijan equalized through a controversial penalty, and Ukraine dropped two vital points in a match they were expected to win comfortably.
By October, every match was “do or die.” The third game, in Reykjavik, turned out to be one of Ukraine’s best in years. A 5-3 victory over Iceland featured a brace from Ruslan Malinovskyi and a goal from Hutsulyak. Late strikes from Kalyuzhnyi and Oleh Ocheretko sealed the win and kept World Cup hopes alive.
The return match against Azerbaijan in Krakow was equally nerve-racking. After Hutsulyak opened the scoring, an own goal by Vitaliy Mykolenko leveled the stakes. Ukraine eventually regained the lead in the 64th minute and spent the final half-hour absorbing an Azerbaijani onslaught. A disallowed Nazar Voloshyn goal in stoppage time added to the drama, but Ukraine held on for a crucial 2-1 win.
True to tradition, Ukraine created problems early on, only to fix them in the final moments. Heading into November, the coaching staff made a tactical gamble: they fielded a semi-reserve squad against France (losing 4-0) to keep the starters fresh for the decisive clash against Iceland three days later.
The gamble paid off. In a match played like a cup final, Ukraine dominated. Anatoliy Trubin produced arguably his best performance in a national shirt, making several key saves. Ukraine secured a 2-0 victory, clinching a spot in the playoffs.
The road ahead:
- March 26, 2026: Playoff semi-final vs. Sweden.
- March 31, 2026: Potential playoff final vs. the winner of Poland vs. Albania.
2025 was a year of “classic” Ukrainian football: difficult, unpredictable, and deeply emotional. Most importantly, the team proved they have the heart to compete on the world stage.
As someone too young to remember Ukraine’s legendary 2006 World Cup run, I am eagerly waiting for the day our flag flies at a global tournament again. 2026 could be that year.