From March 20 to 26, the Ukrainian youth team will participate in the elite round of qualification for Euro-2024 (U-19). Today at 3 PM Kyiv time, their first match will start against North Macedonia. The live broadcast of the game will be on YouTube.

The new coach of the team was recently appointed Dmitry Mykhaylenko. To qualify for the final stage of the European Championship, the blue and yellow need to secure first place in their group against Switzerland, North Macedonia, and Latvia. The host country for the mini-tournament is North Macedonia, where matches will take place at Makedonija Gjorce Petrov and FFM Training Centre stadiums.

Photo courtesy of the UAF

“I think Switzerland is a conditional favorite. The qualification round, where they outperformed Italy and Sweden, proves this. But we have information about all our opponents as well. It's important to prepare well, there's nothing impossible in football. Ukraine is a football nation. Now due to Russian aggression, we don't have the opportunity to play friendly matches unlike other national teams. However, we have character, a desire to win, and that counts for a lot too, so our team is also considered one of the candidates to qualify for the final stage of the European Championship.” — noted head coach of Ukraine's youth national team Dmitry Mykhaylenko.

Photo courtesy of the UAF

Roster of Ukraine's Youth National Team U-19

Goalkeepers: Vladyslav Kravets (“Shakhtar” Donetsk), Vladyslav Krapivcov (“Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), David Fesuk (“Croatia”, Croatia).

Defenders: Oleksiy Husev, Taras Mykhavko (both — “Dynamo” Kyiv), Anton Drozdyk, Maksym Ogarkov (both — “Shakhtar” Donetsk), Ivan Yermachkov (“Wuppertal”, Germany), Maksim Striukov (“Hannover 96”, Germany).

Midfielders: Danyil Vashchenko (“Oleksandria”), Andriy Matveychuk (“Dynamo” Kyiv), Viktor Tsukanov (“Shakhtar” Donetsk), Maksym Melnychenko, Illia Badenko (both — “Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), Hennadiy Synchuk (“Metalist” Kharkiv), Danilo Krevsun (“Borussia” Dortmund, Germany).

Forwards: Matvii Ponomarenko (“Dynamo” Kyiv), Ramik Gadzhiev (“Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), Mykhailo Dubrovnyi (“Gent”, Belgium), Timur Tutyurov (“Sunderland”, England), Kristian Shevchenko (“Watford”, England).

Elite Round Qualification Calendar for Euro-2024 (U-19) Group 7

March 20, 2024

Switzerland — Latvia (3 PM)

North Macedonia — Ukraine (3 PM)

March 23, 2024

Switzerland — North Macedonia (3 PM)

Ukraine — Latvia (3 PM)

March 26, 2024

Ukraine — Switzerland (3 PM)

Latvia — North Macedonia (3 PM)

Match times are in Kyiv time. 

The draw for the elite round split 28 teams into seven groups, whose matches will take place in March. Winners of the group stages join the host country, Northern Ireland, at the final stage which takes place from July 15 to 28, 2024 and serves as a UEFA qualifier for the U-20 World Cup (U-20).

Euro-2024 (U-19). Elite Round Qualification

Group 1: Spain, Austria, Kosovo, Slovenia.

Group 2: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania.

Group 3: Norway, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro.

Group 4: Portugal, Denmark, Serbia, Greece.

Group 5: Scotland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Italy.

Group 6: Turkey, Germany, Croatia, Romania.

Group 7: Switzerland, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Latvia.

As a reminder, Ukrainians under Oleksandr Kuznetsov's guidance secured first place in their qualification group.