Olympics 2024: Ukraine prepares in France for football tournament

10.07.2024 14:00

In France, preparation is underway for Ukraine's Olympic football team ahead of the Summer Games 2024.

On Monday, July 8, the main group of players arrived in the Aquitaine town of Saint-Paul-lès-Dax, where training for the 2024 Games is taking place at the Plaine des Sports sports complex.

Photo by Anatoliy Riepin

The first training session took place on July 9, with two sessions scheduled for July 10 and 11, followed by single sessions. The camp involves 19 players, with only three expected absentees — Krasnopir Sych, and Batahov.

Additionally, two friendly matches are scheduled. The first match against Egypt, led by Ruslan Rotan, will take place on July 14 (starting at 18:30 local time, 19:30 Kyiv time) at one of the Plaine des Sports fields.

Photo by Anatoliy Riepin

The second game against Paraguay is set for July 18 (starting at 19:30 Kyiv time) in the Aquitaine town of Agen, at the Alan Lansamen stadium.

Ukraine Olympic Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yakiv Kinareykin (Dnipro-1, Dnipro), Kiril Fesyun (Shakhtar Donetsk), Heorhiy Yermakov (Oleksandriya).

Defenders: Maksym Talovierov (LASK, Austria), Arseniy Batahov (Zorya Luhansk), Illia Krupskyi, Yevhen Pavlyuk (both Vorskla Poltava), Oleksandr Martiynyuk (Oleksandriya), Oleksiy Sych (Rukh Lviv), Volodymyr Salyuk (Chornomorets Odesa).

Midfielders: Maksym Khlan (Lechia, Poland), Valentyn Rubchynskyi (Dnipro-1, Dnipro), Artem Shulyanskyi (Oleksandriya), Maksym Bragaru, Mykola Mykhailenko (both Dynamo Kyiv), Vladyslav Veleten (Kolos Kovalivka), Oleh Fedor (Rukh Lviv), Dmytro Kryskiv, Kyrylo Siheiev, Oleh Ocheretko (all Shakhtar Donetsk).

Forwards: Ihor Krasnopir (Rukh Lviv), Danylo Sikan (Shakhtar Donetsk).

It is worth mentioning that on March 20th, Ukraine learned its opponents in the football tournament at the 2024 Olympics. Placed in the fourth pot, Ukraine was drawn against Argentina, Morocco, and the third Asian team, Iraq, in Group B. The matches of the quartet will be held on July 24th, 27th, and 30th.

Photo by Anatoliy Riepin

2024 Olympics. Men's Football Tournament

Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand.

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine.

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic.

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel.

Group B Schedule

July 24, 2024

Argentina vs Morocco (16:00, Saint-Étienne)

Iraq vs Ukraine (20:00, Lyon)

July 27, 2024

Argentina vs Iraq (16:00, Lyon)

Ukraine vs Morocco (18:00, Saint-Étienne)

July 30, 2024

Ukraine vs Argentina (18:00, Lyon)

Morocco vs Iraq (18:00, Nice)

All match times are in Kyiv time.

The two top teams from Group B advance to face representatives from Group A.

Photo by Anatoliy Riepin

The format of the Olympic tournament remains traditional: battling in four groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the playoffs, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, the match for third place, and the final (August 9th, Paris, Parc des Princes).

It's worth recalling that last summer, by defeating France (3:1) in the quarterfinal match of the 2023 Euro (U-21) and securing a spot in the semifinals, our team achieved a historic success, earning the country the right to participate in the football tournament at the Olympics for the first time. Alongside Ukraine, Spain and Israel also obtained licenses for the 2024 Summer Games in this discipline through the 2023 U-21 Euro.

Participants in the men's football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games will compete from July 24th to August 9th in seven cities in France: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne, Nice, and Nantes. According to the regulations, players born after January 1, 2001, are eligible to participate. Additionally, each team can include three players older than this age.

In total, 16 national teams will participate in the tournament: France as the host, three teams representing Europe (Ukraine, Spain, Israel), three from Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Mali), three from Asia (Japan, Uzbekistan, Iraq), two from South America (Paraguay, Argentina), two from the CONCACAF region (USA, Dominican Republic), one from Oceania (New Zealand), and the winner of the intercontinental play-off (Guinea).