Mission Impossible? Ukraine Fall to France in Predictable Defeat

Ukraine’s national team couldn’t pull off a miracle, suffering a 0-2 loss to tournament heavyweights France – the current FIFA World Cup runners-up.

Under the guidance of Serhiy Rebrov, Ukraine have shown flashes of resilience in recent high-profile matches — from a battling draw against England in Wrocław to a last-gasp showdown with Italy in Leverkusen. So despite injuries and a squad in flux, there was still a flicker of belief that the “Blue and Yellows” might cause an upset.

But that hope was quickly extinguished. The first half belonged entirely to Didier Deschamps’ men, who asserted dominance from the outset. Just 10 minutes in, Bradley Barcola exploited space on the left, squaring the ball to a completely unmarked Michael Olise, who calmly slotted into the bottom corner past Anatoliy Trubin.

France didn’t take their foot off the gas. Olise nearly doubled the lead minutes later, only to be denied by a sharp save from Trubin. Defensively, Illia Zabarnyi was heroic, blocking multiple French attempts, but Ukraine were constantly under siege. Les Bleus fired nine shots before the break, three of them on target.

Ukraine Respond – But It Wasn’t Enough

To their credit, Ukraine came out in the second half with renewed energy and belief. On 65 minutes, Artem Dovbyk rose above two defenders to direct a header goalwards, but Ibrahima Konaté was alert, clearing the ball off the line. Just moments later, Zabarnyi came inches from equalizing – his shot rattled off the post, leaving the home crowd in disbelief.

France, who had shifted to a more counter-attacking approach, were waiting to pounce — and strike they did. In the 82nd minute, Kylian Mbappé showcased his trademark explosiveness. Latching onto a long ball, he danced past Zabarnyi at the edge of the box and curled a precise finish into the far corner. Clinical. Cold. 0-2.

What’s Next for Ukraine?

There’s no shame in losing to a team stacked with world-class talent, but the reality remains: Ukraine must pick up points elsewhere if they hope to remain in contention. Their next opportunity comes on September 9 in Baku, where they face Azerbaijan in a must-win fixture.

FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers

Ukraine - France 0:2 (0:1)
Goals: Olise, 10 (0:1); Mbappé, 82 (0:2)

Ukraine: Trubin; Matviyenko; Konoplya; Zabarnyi; Kaliuzhnyi; Sudakov (Bondarenko A-m, 83); Zinchenko (Voloshyn N., 87); Yarmoliuk (Ocheretko, 83); Hutsuliak; Dovbyk (Vanat, 76); Zubkov (Nazarenko Ol-r, 76)
Substitution: Nazarenko Ol-r (from 76); Vanat (from 76); Bondarenko A-m (from 83); Ocheretko (from 83); Voloshyn N. (from 87)
Bench: Bushchan; Riznyk D.; Mykhavko; Svatok; Bondar V.; Mikhaylichenko B.; Shaparenko

France: Maignan; Digne; Upamecano; Kounde (Gusto, 92); Konate; Tchouaméni; Olise (Akliouche, 92); Koné M.; Doue D. (Dembele O., 46; Ekitike, 81); Mbappé; Barcola B. (Rabiot, 76)
Substitution: Dembele O. (from 46 till 81); Rabiot (from 76); Ekitike (from 81); Gusto (from 92); Akliouche (from 92)
Bench: Samba B.; Chevalier L.; Theo Hernández; Pavard; Lucas Hernandez; Thuram-Ulien; Thuram M.