Artem Dovbyk and Experts Share What to Expect From the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup evokes mixed emotions in the Ukrainian football community. The absence of the national team and the realities of the war leave their mark on the perception of the tournament, yet the sporting intrigue and large-scale innovations capture everyone’s attention.

Kyiv Post gathered the opinions of football observers, coaches, as well as the star forward of the Ukraine national team, Artem Dovbyk, to find out what to expect from the upcoming World Cup.

The main topic of discussion remains the expansion of the tournament to 48 participants. Roman Malchevsky, an English championship observer at Footboom, is skeptical, as he shared in an extensive comment for Kyiv Post.

In his opinion, increasing the number of participants is a purely commercial decision, and moreover, absurd from a sporting point of view, as the difference in class between the teams reduces interest in the group stage. According to his forecast, real football will begin only in the playoffs.

A similar restraint is shown by Illya Deulin, a football observer and author of the project Truskawkowa piłka. He noted that events off the pitch often overshadow the game itself.

At the same time, he is intrigued by the participation of “dark horses” such as Uzbekistan. In contrast to them, the Ukraine national team forward Dovbyk expects an interesting and dynamic tournament with many unexpected results.

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“The World Cup always brings special emotions because the best national teams and football players on the planet gather here. I think fans will see a lot of high-quality football, dramatic moments, and matches that will be remembered for a long time,” Dovbyk said in a conversation with Kyiv Post.

Oleksandr Stetsenko, coach of the Dynamo Kyiv U-13 team and founder of the children’s football school Junior Kids Academy, solidifies his opinion with that of the star forward.

He noted that, first and foremost, he expects a high level of organization and hopes that the organizers will be able to prevent any unpleasant surprises.

Favorites and predictions

The opinions of Dovbyk and the experts interviewed regarding the future winner differ slightly. However, everyone emphasizes that European giants are traditionally among the favorites.

Thus, France is the absolute leader of sympathies.

Dynamo U-13 team coach Stetsenko, as well as Dovbyk, who places them among the top three main contenders, speak in favor of the French national team.

In a conditional second place for the experts is Spain. Illya Deulin, for example, boldly predicts that Luis de la Fuente will repeat the success of the legendary Vicente del Bosque, especially if a potential France vs. Germany match in the round of 16 eliminates one of the main competitors of the “Furia Roja.”

Artem Dovbyk speaks of the reigning champion, Argentina, as one of the main favorites. However, he truly surprised with his personal choice of the national team he will support.

“Personally, I will support Portugal. I like this team, and it will be interesting to see how far they can go in the tournament,” he noted in a comment for Kyiv Post.

Sweden in the “Group of Death”

The group featuring the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden promises a fierce struggle.

Most observers and experts we managed to speak with lean towards the opinion that it will be extremely difficult for the Scandinavians to reach the playoffs. Dovbyk and Stetsenko believe that Sweden will be left out of the next stage.

“They have a decent team, a good coach, but I think, for example, that in the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, Ukraine lost more than Sweden won,” Stetsenko emphasized.

“It will be very difficult for Sweden to advance from this group. Speaking of the favorites to reach the playoffs, I would give preference to the Netherlands and Japan.”

“Anything is possible in football, but at the moment, I consider them the main contenders to advance from the group,” Dovbyk added.

Deulin has a more optimistic view. He is confident that it is possible to fight against the Japanese and even the Dutch.

As an example, he points to the Poland national team, who did not lose to the “Oranje” during the World Cup qualifiers.