Shocking transfers and lack of game time: How Ukraine's football stars prepare for 2026 World Cup

Ukraine national team starts World Cup 2026 qualifiers

European clubs have entered the first international break of the new season, during which national teams begin qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.

Ukraine will start on September 5 with an away match against France, and on September 9, will host Azerbaijan.

Head coach of the national team Serhii Rebrov announced a list of 25 players. Later, some changes were made: Nazar Voloshyn was additionally called up, and Bohdan Mykhailichenko replaced the injured Oleksandr Tymchyk.

As a result, 26 players joined the training camp, 11 of whom represent foreign leagues.

Transfer success

The most notable event of the summer transfer window was the move of defender Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth to French giant PSG. The transfer fee amounted to €63 million, making him one of the most expensive Ukrainian players in history.

Despite the move, Zabarnyi has already played two matches for the Parisians, showing good performances.

Illia Zabarnyi (photo: facebook.com/PSG)

Players without playing time

Meanwhile, another Ukrainian defender, Oleksandr Zinchenko, has not yet played a single match for London's Arsenal and was even considered for a loan.

A similarly difficult situation is facing Artem Dovbyk, who at Roma is not the main striker, losing his place to Evan Ferguson. Dovbyk's future at the club remains uncertain.

Unfortunately, Roman Yaremchuk, who plays for Greek side Olympiacos, suffered an injury and has not played any matches in the new season.

Andrii Lunin also remains outside the main lineup at Real Madrid, losing the competition to Thibaut Courtois.

Andrii Lunin (photo: instagram.com/lunin_andrey)

Stable roles at their clubs

Goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin at Benfica is showing incredible form. In the new season, he has played six matches without conceding a single goal. This is a record clean sheet streak in his career.

Viktor Tsyhankov, although slightly injured, remains a key player for Girona, while Oleksandr Zubkov is a starter at Turkish side Trabzonspor and already has one assist.

Vitalii Mykolenko, despite a minor injury at the start of the season, returned to Everton's squad and even managed to record a pre-assist.

Vitalii Mykolenko (photo: instagram.com/mikola_16)

Who can become a surprise

Austin defender Oleksandr Svatok, who plays in the American MLS, leads in minutes played among all national team call-ups. His team follows a different schedule, so he remains in a constant playing rhythm. He has played 27 matches in the US league for Austin.

Midfielder Yehor Yarmoliuk, who plays for Brentford, has changed his position on the field. He now plays in the defensive midfield role.

In three Premier League matches, he has proven himself an effective disruptor of opponents' attacks. Thanks to this role change, Yarmoliuk could become an important option for Ukraine's coaching staff.

Yehor Yarmoliuk (photo: instagram.com/yarmoliuk_yehor)

What's next

Ukraine will start the qualifiers with a very tough match—an away game against France—and a few days later, Serhii Rebrov's team will face Azerbaijan at home.

On the eve of these important matches, Rebrov's coaching staff faces a mixed situation.

On one hand, there are players in top form, and on the other, footballers who, for various reasons, lack sufficient playing practice. Therefore, the outcome of these key matches will depend on how effectively Rebrov can use the available resources.

Earlier, we reported that Vladyslav Vanat, a Ukrainian national team forward, officially became a player of the Spanish Girona.