On September 9, in Wroclaw, the first round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers took place, with Ukraine facing off against France. Head coach Sergey Rebrov emphasized that the primary focus for his team is qualifying for the World Cup, while the Nations League is of secondary importance. Now, they faced a significant challenge — a match against the illustrious French team.

UKRAINE — FRANCE — 0:2

Ukraine Line-up: Trubin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko (c), Zinchenko (Voloshyn, 87), Kalyuzhnyi, Zubkov (Nazarenko, 76), Yarmolyuk (Ocheretko, 82), Sudakov (Bondarenko, 82), Hutsuliak, Dovbyk (Vanat, 76).

Head Coach: Sergey Rebrov.

France Line-up: Maignan, Kounde, Konate (Gusto, 90+2), Upamecano, Digne, Kone, Tchouameni, Barcola (Rabiot, 76), Olise (Akliush, 90+2), Due (Dembele, 46, Ekiteke, 81), Mbappe.

Head Coach: Didier Deschamps.

Goals: Olise (10), Mbappe (82).

The Ukrainian squad attempted to maintain a solid defensive strategy, yet within ten minutes, they conceded a goal. Barcola maneuvered down the left flank and assisted Olise, who managed to find space and score — 0:1.

In the first half, Ukraine failed to create any significant chances, while the French team had multiple opportunities, but Trubin’s performance kept them in the game.

In the second half, Ukraine began to push forward. Rebrov swapped the positions of Hutsuliak and Zubkov. In the 65th minute, Dovbyk headed the ball towards goal, but Konate made a crucial clearance.

On the 66th minute, after a free kick, Kalyuzhnyi came close to scoring, but the ball hit the post and stayed out.

In the 82nd minute, Mbappe scored the second goal, finishing a counter-attack — 0:2. This confirmed their defeat.

On Tuesday, September 12, Ukraine will play against Azerbaijan.