Ukraine vs France – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Ukraine and France lock horns in the opening round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying in Poland on Friday.

Both sides will be eager to get their campaign off to a winning start in Group D, which also features Iceland and Azerbaijan.

Ukraine vs France – Match preview and team news

Ukraine team news

Two new players have been called up for the September matches; Dynamo defender Taras Mykhavko and Shakhtar midfielder Oleh Ocheretko.

Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin misses out through injury, with Georgiy Bushchan drafted in as his replacement, though Anatolii Trubin has been in exceptional form for Benfica, recording six consecutive clean sheets to start the new season – a career-best streak for the goalkeeper. His form makes him the undisputed first choice between the posts this week.

Nottingham Forest loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko will captain the side despite his limited playing time so far this season, bringing vital leadership and experience to a team that has struggled defensively in recent fixtures. Defender Vitaliy Mykolenko has recovered from a summer knock to anchor the back line alongside Illia Zabarnyi and Oleksandr Matviienko.

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France team news

Kylian Mbappé spearheads France’s attack. The 26-year-old forward will be highly motivated to leave a mark in his first World Cup qualifying campaign since joining Real Madrid and continues to be the primary offensive threat for Les Bleus.

Maghnes Akliouche has earned a maiden senior call-up after an impressive run of form with AS Monaco. Deschamps has acknowledged the young attacker’s club performances by including him in the squad, and he may get some minutes off the bench.

Hugo Ekitike has been summoned as a late addition to the squad, stepping in for Rayan Cherki, who is sidelined for approximately two months due to a severe quadriceps injury. The Liverpool striker now has a valuable opportunity to showcase his talents on the international stage.

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Form

Ukraine: WWLLW

In their most recent outing, Ukraine defeated New Zealand (2-1). After a goalless first half, they opened the scoring through Oleksii Hutsuliak, followed by an equaliser from the rivals only five minutes later.

Ukraine have struggled throughout the year to find an ideal winger pair, due to a lack of creativity in the roster. Zinchenko shot the winning goal with only fifteen minutes left on the clock.

France: WLWLW

France will be looking to start with a win after their semi-final disappointment against Spain in the Nations League. Less than a year remains before the 2026 World Cup kicks and it’s the perfect time for Deschamps to experiment with the squad and see how the young players do.

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Predicted lineups

Ukraine: Lunin; Mykolenko, Matviienko, Zabarnyi, Konoplia; Kaliuzhnyi; Sudakov, Shaparaneko, Zinchenko, Tsygankov; Dovbyk

France: Maignan; Gusto, Koundé, Konaté, Hernández; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Mbappé, Barcola; Thuram.

How to watch Ukraine vs France?

UK fans can watch live coverage of the game on ITV and stream via ITVX.

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