Futsal EURO 2026. Ukraine defeats Germany away in main round qualifier

31.01.2025 21:13

Oleksandr Kosenko’s team continued their campaign in the main round of the Futsal EURO 2026 qualifiers with an away match against Germany in Göppingen.

The Blue and Yellows began their Group 1 campaign with victories over Cyprus (7:0) and Romania (2:0). They then faced back-to-back fixtures against Germany, with the first taking place away today.

Early in the match, Ukraine created several chances, but it was the hosts who struck first in the 3rd minute through Ak. However, Ukraine equalized when Mykytyuk slotted the ball into the net after Chernyavskyi's shot hit the post. Soon after, Zhuk redirected Melnyk’s shot to put Ukraine ahead. Just a minute later, Semenchenko extended the lead with a long-range effort after receiving a pass from Korsun.

In the 18th minute, Mykytyuk completed his brace following an excellent pass from Zhuk. Moments later, Korsun found the net after an assist from Savenko. Germany pulled one back when Savenko fouled Oliveira in the box, and the latter converted the penalty. Despite this, Ukraine entered halftime with a commanding 5:2 lead.

At the start of the second half, Ak scored his second goal, finishing a one-on-one against Savenko. The match continued at a high tempo, with both teams exchanging chances, but the goalkeepers stood firm. Ukraine then controlled the game, focusing on maintaining their advantage. In the closing minutes, Ak came close again but hit the post.

Ultimately, Oleksandr Kosenko’s squad secured their third consecutive win in the qualifiers, 5:3.

In their next Group 1 match, Ukraine will host Germany. The nominal home game will take place on February 4 at 19:00 Kyiv time in Chișinău, Moldova, at Arena Chișinău.

UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 Qualifiers. Main Round. Group 1

12.12.2024

Romania — Germany — 6:0

13.12.2024

Cyprus — Ukraine — 0:7

17.12.2024

Romania — Ukraine — 0:2

18.12.2024

Germany — Cyprus — 2:1

31.01.2025

Romania — Cyprus — 6:1

Germany — Ukraine — 3:5 (2:5)

Goals: Ak (3, 22), Oliveira (18, pen) — Mykytyuk (9, 18), Zhuk (14), Semenchenko (15), Korsun (18).

Germany: Wigels — Oliveira (c), Agnima, Block, Koich; Bayar, Grünberg, Meyer, Ak, Syozer, Herterich, Saglam, Schulz, Hirosawa.

Ukraine: Savenko — Abakshyn, Zvarych, Korsun (c), Semenchenko; Siritskyi, Sukhov, Zhuk, Mykytyuk, Melnyk, Chernyavskyi, Farenyuk, Pervieiev.

Booked: Block (5), Wigels (31) — Chernyavskyi (23).

January 31. Geppingen. EWS Arena.

Standings

February 4, 2025

Ukraine vs. Germany

February 5, 2025

Cyprus vs. Romania

April 11, 2025

Germany vs. Romania

Ukraine vs. Cyprus

April 15, 2025

Ukraine vs. Romania

Cyprus vs. Germany

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.

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).

Latvia and Lithuania, the tournament hosts, 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.

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.