On October 10, a thrilling match of the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers took place in Reykjavik between the teams of Ukraine and Iceland. Following two previous games where the Ukrainian team managed to secure only one point against France and Azerbaijan, it was essential for Ukraine to win this match to keep their hopes alive for World Cup qualification.
ICELAND — UKRAINE — 3:5
Iceland: Olafsson, Pallsson, Ingason, Gretarsson, Elerdsson (G.Tordarsson, 87), A.Gudmundsson, Johannesson (Willumsson, 86), Haraldsson, Magnusson (Thomasson, 69), A.Gudjohnsen (Anderson, 86), Torsteinsson (Hlinsson, 69). Head Coach: Arnar Gunnlaugsson.
Ukraine: Trubin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko, Kalyuzhnyi, Malinovskyi (Bondarenko, 87), Shaparenko (Ocheretko, 70), Hutsuliak (Veletien, 87), Sudakov (Voloshyn, 39), Vanat (Dovbyk, 70). Head Coach: Serhiy Rebrov.
Goals: Elerdsson (35), Gudmundsson (59, 75) — Malinovskyi (14, 45+5), Hutsuliak (45), Kalyuzhnyi (85), Ocheretko (88).
This match was significant due to the return of Ruslan Malinovskyi and Vitaliy Mykolenko after injuries. Both players became key figures on the field. Anatoliy Trubin took the goalkeeper position while Illia Zabarnyi and Mykola Matvienko played in central defense. Yukhym Konoplya filled the right-back position and Vitaliy Mykolenko took the left. In the midfield, the triangle consisted of Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Mykola Shaparenko. Georgiy Sudakov was again placed on the left wing, while Olexiy Hutsuliak played on the right flank, with Vladyslav Vanat leading the attack.
The first goal for Ukraine came from their very first meaningful attack. Vitaliy Mykolenko joined the attack, evaded two defenders on the flank, and provided a precise pass to Ruslan Malinovskyi, who scored — 1:0.
However, as is often the case, Ukraine could not maintain their lead, and in the 28th minute, Gudmundsson equalized, making it 1:1.
On the 35th minute, Elerdsson put Iceland ahead, but just before half-time, Hutsuliak scored again, bringing the score to 2:1. The substitution of Sudakov for Voloshyn improved the performance on the wing.
In the second half, Iceland responded with two goals from Gudmundsson, but Ukraine managed to regain the lead thanks to excellent strikes from Kalyuzhnyi and Ocheretko, finishing the match with a score of 5:3 in their favor.
In conclusion, despite the challenges, Ukraine secured a vital victory, emphasizing their chances for World Cup qualification.
