Ukraine futsal team triumphs over Czechia in friendly match

05.11.2024 21:43

Today, on November 5, the Ukraine national futsal team played their first friendly match against Czechia.

As part of their preparations for the Futsal EURO 2026 qualifiers, Oleksandr Kosenko's team traveled to Czechia for two friendlies in the town of Frýdek-Místek. It is worth noting that Ukraine arrived for these away matches as bronze medalists of the Futsal World Cup 2024.

In the first match, Ukraine quickly took control of the game and scored shortly after the whistle — Abakshyn finished off a pass from Semenchenko at the far post. Later, Chernyavskyi capitalized on a pass from Shved, scoring with his second touch. In the 9th minute, Semenchenko increased the visitors' lead, finishing a combination with Savenko and Abakshyn. By halftime, the Czechs had little opportunity to reduce the deficit.

However, the hosts started the second half strongly, and Savenko had to make some key saves. Meanwhile, Ukraine committed several fouls, and in the 27th minute, Holy scored for the Czechs after a well-executed set piece. In the final moments, the Czechs played with a fifth-field player and managed to beat Savenko once more. Nevertheless, Ukraine held on to their lead and won 3:2.

The teams will play their second match tomorrow, starting at 20:00 Kyiv time.

Friendly Match. National Futsal Teams

Czechia - Ukraine - 2:3 (0:3)

Goals: Holy (27), D. Drozd (40) — Abakshyn (1), Chernyavskyi (7), Semenchenko (9).

Ukraine: Savenko — Pervieiev, Abakshyn, Semenchenko, Zvarych; Sukhov, Shved, Melnyk, Zhuk, Chernyavskyi, Farenyuk, Lebid, Masevych, Zavertanyi.

As a reminder, the Futsal EURO 2026 qualifying main round draw took place on May 30. Forty teams were divided into 10 groups of four, with the matches running from December to April to compete for 10 direct spots in the finals and eight places in the playoffs.

The Futsal European Championship 2026 will be the second edition after the expansion of the final stage from 12 to 16 teams, and the tournament will be held every four years instead of two.

Futsal EURO 2026 Qualification Format

The qualification process consists of three stages: the preliminary round (mini-tournaments), the main round (home and away group matches), and the playoffs (home and away).

The tournament hosts, Latvia and Lithuania, receive automatic spots for EURO 2026. Some teams begin in the preliminary round, while others enter directly into the main round.

Main Round (December 9, 2024 – April 16, 2025)

A total of 40 teams (the 34 best teams according to the December ranking and the 6 best teams from the preliminary round) will be divided into 10 groups of four teams each. Every team will play against others in their group both at home and away. The 10 group winners will join Latvia and Lithuania in the final stage, while the 8 best second-place teams will advance to the playoffs.

For the draw, teams were placed into four pots of 10 teams based on their coefficients as of April 18, 2024. Ukraine was placed in Group 1, where they will face Romania, Germany, and Cyprus.

Futsal EURO 2026 Main Round Draw

Group 1: Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Cyprus.

Group 2: Finland, Italy, Belarus, Malta.

Group 3: Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, Turkiye.

Group 4: Slovenia, Hungary, Montenegro, Norway.

Group 5: Croatia, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Greece.

Group 6: Kazakhstan, Armenia, Denmark, Albania.

Group 7: Portugal, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Andorra.

Group 8: Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, England, Switzerland.

Group 9: Serbia, Czechia, Belgium, Austria.

Group 10: France, Georgia, Kosovo, Bulgaria.

Playoffs (September 15-24, 2025)

The 8 second-place teams will be split into four pairs. After home and away matches, the final four spots in the final stage will be determined.

Final Tournament (January 18 – February 8, 2026, exact dates to be announced)

16 teams will be divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarterfinals.

Futsal EURO 2026 Calendar

Main Round: December 9–18, 2024, January 27 – February 5, 2025, March 3–12, 2025, April 7–16, 2025.

Playoff Draw: May 15, 2025.

Playoffs: September 15–24, 2025.

Final Stage: January 18 – February 8, 2026.

As a reminder, Ukraine’s national futsal team finished 4th at the Futsal EURO 2022 in the Netherlands, and the current champions are Portugal.