Ukraine national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ukraine

Nickname(s)	Синьо-жовті / Synʹo-zhovti (The Blue and Yellow) Збірна / Zbirna (The National Team)
Association	Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) Українська Асоціація Футболу
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Serhiy Rebrov
Captain	Andriy Yarmolenko
Most caps	Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (144)
Top scorer	Andriy Shevchenko (48)
Home stadium	from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine - Various in other countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Romania, Spain)
FIFA code	UKR
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	30 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	11 (February 2007)
Lowest	132 (September 1993)
Elo ranking
Current	24 9 (3 March 2019)
Highest	14 (November 2010)
Lowest	69 (29 March 1995)
First international
Ukraine 1–3 Hungary  (Uzhhorod, Ukraine; 29 April 1992)
Biggest win
Ukraine 9–0 San Marino  (Lviv, Ukraine; 6 September 2013)
Biggest defeat
France 7–1 Ukraine  (Saint-Denis, France; 7 October 2020)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2006)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2006)
European Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2012)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2020)
Website	uaf.ua

The Ukraine national football team represents Ukraine in international men's football. The Ukrainian Association of Football manages the team. Ukraine's main home stadium is the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv. The team has been a full member of UEFA (Europe's football body) and FIFA (the world's football body) since 1992.

After Ukraine became independent again, they played their first match against Hungary on April 29, 1992. The team made it to the quarter-finals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was their first time playing in a major championship final tournament. Ukraine is one of the few former Soviet countries to reach the FIFA World Cup finals.

As the host nation, Ukraine automatically played in UEFA Euro 2012. Four years later, they qualified for Euro 2016 through play-off games. This was the first time Ukraine won a play-off to reach the European Championship. Ukraine's best results in the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup were reaching the quarter-finals. They did this in 2020 and 2006.

Team History

Early Days (1924–1990)

The modern Ukraine national team started in the early 1990s. But Ukraine actually had a national team much earlier, from 1924 to 1935. This team played in championships against other Soviet republics. In 1928, Ukraine reached the final of an All-Soviet tournament. They lost 1–0 to Moscow. In 1929, Ukraine beat Lower Austria 4–1 in a friendly match.

Forming the Modern Team

Before 1991, Ukrainian players played for the Soviet Union team. After the Soviet Union broke up, Russia took its place in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. Ukraine's team could not join because they were not yet part of FIFA. Some top Ukrainian players chose to play for Russia at that time. This caused some challenges for Ukrainian football.

Valeriy Lobanovskyi was a famous coach for Ukraine.

The money and success earned by Soviet teams, partly thanks to Ukrainian players, went to the Russia team. This created a tough time for Ukraine's national team and its local league. There was also a lack of money for teams. But over time, the Ukrainian team got better. New talented players like Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov emerged.

First Official Games

After joining FIFA and UEFA in 1992, Ukraine chose its first manager, Viktor Prokopenko.

Viktor Prokopenko was the first official manager of the national team.

Ukraine played its first match on April 29, 1992, against Hungary. They lost 3–1, with Ivan Hetsko scoring Ukraine's only goal. After a few losses, Prokopenko stepped down.

Euro 1996 Qualifiers

Oleh Bazylevych became the new head coach in 1993. Ukraine drew 1–1 with Israel in his first game. Less than a month later, Ukraine won its first match against Lithuania. In September 1994, Ukraine started its first official qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 1996. They lost 2–0 to Lithuania at home. Bazylevych was then replaced by Yozhef Sabo as acting manager.

Oleg Blokhin coached the Ukraine national team twice.

Under Sabo, Ukraine drew with Slovenia and then beat Estonia 3–0. This was their first win in a competitive game. In 1995, Anatoliy Konkov became the new head coach. The team had some wins but finished fourth in their group.

Near Misses (1998–2004)

In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine finished second in their group. They were behind Germany but ahead of Portugal. However, they lost to Croatia in a play-off. This campaign was important because it marked the start of Andriy Shevchenko's international career.

For UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying, Ukraine finished above Russia. They were undefeated in their group but still had to play in a play-off. They lost to Slovenia. After this, Valeriy Lobanovskyi became the head coach.

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine hoped to reach the finals for the first time. But they lost to Poland and had many draws. They ended up in a play-off again, losing to Germany. Lobanovskyi's contract was not renewed.

For UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying, Leonid Buryak became the new coach. Ukraine did not qualify for this tournament.

2006 FIFA World Cup Success

After Euro 2004, Oleg Blokhin became the head coach. Ukraine qualified for their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2006. They won their group on September 3, 2005, after drawing with Georgia.

In the 2006 World Cup, Ukraine was in a group with Spain, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. They lost their first match 4–0 to Spain. But they won their next two games. This meant they played against Switzerland in the Round of 16. The game ended 0–0. Ukraine won in a penalty shoot-out, thanks to two saves from Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. This sent Switzerland home. In the quarter-finals, Ukraine lost 3–0 to Italy, who went on to win the World Cup.

Years of Change (2006–2012)

After the World Cup, Ukraine did not do well in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. They finished fourth in their group. Oleg Blokhin then left his coaching role.

Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko became the new head coach. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine reached the play-off stage. But they lost to Greece. Mykhaylychenko's contract was not extended.

The Ukraine team in 2012.

Ukraine before a match against Bulgaria in 2012.

As co-hosts, Ukraine automatically qualified for Euro 2012. This was their first time in the European Championship. Myron Markevych was appointed to lead the team. However, he resigned after a few friendly games. Yuriy Kalitvintsev then took over as caretaker coach.

On April 21, 2011, Oleg Blokhin was again named head coach. In Euro 2012, Ukraine won their opening game against Sweden 2–1. But they lost to France and England, which meant they were eliminated.

Recent Years (2014–Present)

For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine reached another play-off. They beat France 2–0 at home but lost 3–0 away, so they did not qualify. Mykhailo Fomenko became the head coach in late 2012.

Ukraine playing in 2015.

In Euro 2016 qualifiers, Ukraine finished third in their group. They then beat Slovenia in a play-off. This was the first time they qualified for a major tournament through play-offs. At Euro 2016, Ukraine lost all three games without scoring a goal.

After Euro 2016, Andriy Shevchenko became the head coach. In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine did not make it to the play-offs.

In the first UEFA Nations League, Ukraine won their group. This earned them a promotion to League A.

For Euro 2020 qualifiers, Ukraine was in a group with Portugal and Serbia. They drew 0–0 with Portugal. Ukraine won their group after beating Portugal 2–1.

In the next Nations League, Ukraine was in a group with Switzerland, Spain, and Germany. They beat Switzerland 2–1. Ukraine then defeated Spain for the first time with a 1–0 win. However, due to a COVID-19 situation, their game against Switzerland was cancelled. UEFA decided the match result would be 3–0 for Switzerland. This meant Ukraine was moved down to League B.

Ukraine qualified for the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time in the 2020 tournament (played in 2021). They beat Sweden 2–1 in the Round of 16. They then lost to England in the quarter-finals. This was their best finish at a major tournament since 2006.

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Ukraine had many draws. Shevchenko resigned in August 2021. Oleksandr Petrakov took over. Ukraine qualified for the play-offs. They beat Scotland 3–1 but lost 1–0 to Wales in the final play-off match. This meant they did not qualify for the World Cup.

In the 3rd Nations League, Ukraine finished second in their group. They did not get promoted back to League A.

For the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Ukraine finished third in a tough group. They had the same points as Italy but Italy advanced due to better head-to-head results. Ukraine qualified for Euro 2024 through the play-offs. They beat Bosnia 2–1 and then Iceland 2–1 in the final. In both games, Ukraine came from behind to win. At Euro 2024, Ukraine finished with four points in their group. However, they were knocked out due to goal difference.

Home Stadiums

Most of Ukraine's home matches are played at the Olimpiyskyi National Sports Complex in Kyiv. Before 1991, only three stadiums in Ukraine were used for official games. These were the Olimpiysky NSC in Kyiv, the Chornomorets Stadium in Odesa, and the Lokomotiv Stadium in Simferopol. Since May 2022, due to the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has played its home games in other countries. These include cities like Łódź in Poland.

Team Kits and Sponsors

Kit History

Ukraine has used different kit suppliers over the years. On March 29, 2010, Ukraine started using a new Adidas kit. Before that, they used Lotto kits. From 2009 to 2016, Adidas made their official team kits. Since 2017, Joma has been the manufacturer. In 2024, Adidas became the kit supplier again.

Kit supplier	Period
Umbro	1992–1997
Puma	1998–2002
Lotto	2003–2008
Adidas	2009–2016
Joma	2017–2024
Adidas	2024–present

Team Sponsors

The company Ukraine Football International (UFI) handles marketing for the Ukrainian Association of Football.

• Main Sponsor: Epicentr (since 2013)
• Premium Sponsors: Chernihivske (since 1998)
• Official Sponsors: Henkel (Ukraine), Adidas, Ukraine International Airlines, NIKO (Mitsubishi distributor), Boris clinic, Tour agency "Love Cyprus", Grand Admiral Club.

Coaching Staff

Here are the current coaches for the Ukraine national football team:

Position	Name
Head coach	Serhiy Rebrov
Assistant coach
	Vicente Gómez
	Alberto Bosch
	Hlib Platov
Goalkeeping coach	Rustam Khudzhamov
Fitness coach	Javier Lurueña

Player Records

Most Games Played

Andriy Yarmolenko has played the second most games for Ukraine.

These players have played the most matches for Ukraine:

Top Goalscorers

Andriy Shevchenko is Ukraine's top scorer with 48 goals.

These players have scored the most goals for Ukraine:

Team Captains

These players have been captains for Ukraine the most times:

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

Ukraine has played in the FIFA World Cup once.

FIFA World Cup Record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1930 to 1990 as Part of  Soviet Union
as  Ukraine
1994	Did not play (not a FIFA member yet)
1998	Did not qualify
2002	Did not qualify
2006	Quarter-finals	8th	5	2	1	2	5	7	Squad
2010	Did not qualify
2014
2018
2022
Total	Quarter-finals	1/7	5	2	1	2	5	7	–

UEFA European Championship

Ukraine has played in the UEFA European Championship four times.

UEFA European Championship Record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
Part of  Soviet Union and  CIS (1960 to 1992)
as  Ukraine
1996	Did not qualify
2000
2004
2008
2012	Group stage	12th	3	1	0	2	2	4
2016	Group stage	24th	3	0	0	3	0	5
2020	Quarter-finals	8th	5	2	0	3	6	10
2024	Group stage	17th	3	1	1	1	2	4
Total	Quarter-finals	4/8	14	4	1	9	10	23

UEFA Nations League

Ukraine has also competed in the UEFA Nations League.

UEFA Nations League Record
Season	Division	Group	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK
2018–19	B	1	1st	4	3	0	1	5	5		14th
2020–21	A	4	4th	6	2	0	4	5	13		13th
2022–23	B	1	2nd	6	3	2	1	10	4		22nd
2024–25	B	1	2nd	8	3	2	3	11	12		24th
Total				24	11	4	9	31	34	13th

Images for kids

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  Official logo of the Ukrainian Association of Football.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Ucrania para niños