Can Ukraine shock France? Full match predictions inside
Photo: Artem Dovbyk is Ukraine's main hope in attack (Getty Images)
The Ukrainian national team faces a tough test right at the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Their journey to the World Cup will begin with a game against France, the world's current vice-champions. What are the predictions for the match, and which Ukrainian players have the best chances of scoring?
Ukraine's squad problems
The Ukraine-France match will take place on September 5 in Wrocław, Poland. The game will be held at the Tarczyński Arena. The opening whistle will sound at 9:45 PM Kyiv time.
In addition to facing a strong opponent and being unable to play home games in their own country due to the war, this time the blue-and-yellow team also has significant squad problems.
Six key players from Serhii Rebrov's roster are out. While players from the reserve list successfully replaced Andrii Lunin, Vitalii Mykolenko, Roman Yaremchuk, and Oleksandr Tymchyk, the absences of Viktor Tsyhankov and Vladyslav Dubinchak could not be compensated in time.
Moreover, the head coach admitted that the players are overloaded with club matches, which makes full training sessions difficult. He noted that excessive match practice in Ukrainian clubs sometimes leads to player fatigue.
"We couldn't even hold two training sessions because the players were too tired and mostly focused on recovery," Rebrov admitted.
Analysts' predictions
Against this background, it's natural that betting analysts give Ukraine very few chances.
The odds for a victory for the nominal hosts in today's game range from 8.00 to 8.70. Odds for a draw are 4.33 to 4.75. The most likely outcome is considered a win for France (1.40).
Who will score?
Experts expect a high-scoring game in Wrocław. The odds for the teams scoring more than two goals are 1.84. Most believe that only the French will score (1.71). The odds for goals from both sides are 2.13.
The French Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé has the best chance to score (1.80). Slightly lower chances are given to three other French players: Marcus Thuram, Hugo Ekitike (both 2.35), and Ousmane Dembélé (2.50).
The best odds among the Ukrainian squad are for Artem Dovbyk (4.50). The chances for newcomer Vladyslav Vanat of Girona to score are 5.00.
