Ukraine’s national football team secures Euro-2024 spot with gritty victory against Iceland

Ahead of the final playoff match for qualification to Euro 2024, the Ukrainian national team defeated Iceland.

The match ended with a score of 2:1 at the Tarczyński Arena in Wrocław, Poland, Rubryka reports, citing the Ukrainian Football Association.

After being part of Euro 2012, Euro 2016, and Euro 2020, Ukraine is now preparing for 2024.

The Ukrainian national team played against Iceland on the eve of March 26.

"Finishing third in Group C, the blue-yellow team retained their chances for the final tournament. Our team made it to Path B of the playoffs, where they ousted Bosnia and Herzegovina (2:1) in the semifinals," said the association. "Now, the Ukrainian national team faced Iceland in the final, who defeated Israel (4:1). Nominally, our team played their home game in Wrocław, Poland."

The Ukrainian team started the match actively, but Icelanders coped with the pressure over time. The teams exchanged moments — Ukraine's Lunin saved Iceland's Þorsteinsson's shot, and the Ukrainian player Mykolenko shot wide after his team member Konoplia's pass.

However, Iceland took the lead in the 30th minute of the match. Icelandic forward Albert Guðmundsson broke through Ukraine's defense and skillfully shot into the right corner from outside the penalty area.

The Ukrainian national team quickly bounced back. Sudakov had his chance, but the goalkeeper saved his shot from the right flank of the penalty area, and then Zabarnyi shot into the net after a corner kick.

In the 39th minute, our team scored after a nice combination of Sudakov-Cyhanov-Yaremchuk, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Viktor.

Ukrainians actively started the second half, and they equalized in the 54th minute. In a counterattack, Sudakov passed diagonally to Tsyhanov, who shifted from the flank to the center and accurately shot into the far corner.

After that, the blue-yellow team continued to control the ball. After Zinchenko came on as a substitute, he created a chance for Yaremchuk but missed the target.

Later, Sudakov had a decent free-kick — the goalkeeper saved it. Then Mykolenko missed from a good position in front of the goal. Iceland responded with two quality attacks: Lunin parried Þorsteinsson's dangerous shot from the corner of the penalty area, and Albert Guðmundsson failed to convert a chance after Zabarnyi's unsuccessful action.

But in the 84th minute, the Ukrainian national team scored — Sudakov passed to Mudryk on the edge of the penalty area, who accurately shot into the left corner. As it turned out, this goal secured the blue-yellow team's place in the European Championship, the fourth for the national team in history.

President Zelensky congratulated the Ukrainian national team on qualifying for Euro 2024.

"Thank you, guys! Thank you, team! For the crucial emotions of the whole country. For the crucial victory and qualification for Euro," the Ukrainian leader said. "For proving once again: when Ukrainians face difficulties but do not give up and continue to fight, then Ukrainians inevitably win. In times when they want to destroy us every day, we prove every day Ukrainians exist and will always exist! Ukraine exists and will always exist! Thank you for the victory! Glory to Ukraine!" 

What awaits the Ukrainian national team now?

The Ukrainian national team has secured a place in the final tournament of Euro 2024, where they will play in Group E against Romania (June 17), Slovakia (June 21), and Belgium (June 26). The final tournament will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14.

The Ukrainian national team will play in the European Football Championship for the fourth time in a row:

• In 2012, the blue-yellow team automatically qualified for the tournament as one of the host countries,
• and in 2016 and 2020, they qualified for the continental championship through qualification.

The most successful Euro for the Ukrainian national team so far remains Euro 2020, which took place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Our team, led by Andrii Shevchenko, reached the quarterfinals in that tournament.

In related news, the United States Air Force and Marine Corps Trials 2024, competitions for veterans and servicemen who have been injured, have concluded at Nellis Air Force Base, a United States Air Force military base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ukraine won 76 medals.