The head coach of Ukraine's futsal team, Oleksandr Kosyenko, commented on the away victory over Germany (5:3) in a Euro-2026 qualification match. The words of the coach are provided by the press service of the Ukrainian Futsal Association.

— Our team had an impressive stretch from the 9th to the 18th minute, scoring five goals. However, at the beginning of the game and in the second half, the Germans caused us some trouble. Was the victory harder-earned than expected?

— Not everything depends on us. The opponent understood that this match was a chance to fight for first place, so I think they prepared very carefully. Especially since the Germans managed to score an early goal — exactly what they were counting on. Good thing we quickly recovered and went ahead in the score. As for the second half, it somewhat resembled our match against Poland in the CH-2024 qualification round. The Poles also conceded four goals and realized that there was nothing to lose, so they came out with maximum determination in the second half. Germany did the same. In both cases, the next goal was crucial — if we had scored a sixth one, it would have calmed us down. With Poland, we managed to do this, but with Germany — not quite. But things don't always go as planned. I believe there's nothing terrible in that. The main thing is that we won. It was somewhat uncomfortable for us. I think everything is fine, we move forward.

— Did Taraflex limit the possibilities of our players?

— Taraflex is a slow surface, and we prefer to play on parquet. Everyone plays under the same conditions, but the Germans are more accustomed to it, so they find it more comfortable. This isn't the main issue, but it also influenced how things unfolded.

— Given that you already know your opponent, will it be easier for us in Chisinau than in the first match?

— We know our opponent as well as they know us. I don't want to say how the game will go. Despite having a more comfortable surface, we'll prepare for a tough match. This is one of the factors, but not the main one. So we'll get ready and try to win. How it works out — that's what the game will show.

— In December, our goalkeepers played in one match each. Do you plan another rotation or will Yuri Savenko play again in the second match?

— We won't say anything now. We'll train and decide on game day.

It should be noted that in the next group 1 match, blue-and-yellow will host Germany. The home game is scheduled for February 4 (kickoff at 7 PM Kyiv time) at Arena Chisinau in Moldova's Chisinau.

Euro-2026 Futsal Qualification Round

December 12, 2024

Romania — Germany — 6:0

December 13, 2024

Cyprus — Ukraine — 0:7

December 17, 2024

Romania — Ukraine — 0:2

December 18, 2024

Germany — Cyprus — 2:1

January 31, 2025

Romania — Cyprus — 6:1

Germany — Ukraine — 3:5

Tournament Table

February 4, 2025

Ukraine — Germany (7 PM)

February 5, 2025

Cyprus — Romania (11 AM)

April 11, 2025

Germany — Romania

Ukraine — Cyprus

April 15, 2025

Ukraine — Romania

Cyprus — Germany

Euro-2026 Futsal Qualification Round

Group 1: Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Cyprus.

Group 2: Finland, Italy, Belarus, Malta.

Group 3: Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, Turkey.

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, Czech Republic, Belgium, Austria.

Group 10: France, Georgia, Kosovo, Bulgaria.

The Euro-2026 futsal championship will be the second edition after expanding the final stage from 12 to 16 teams and deciding to hold the tournament every four years instead of two.

Euro-2026 Futsal Format

Qualification includes three stages: a preliminary round (mini-tournaments), a main round (groups with home and away matches) and playoffs (home and away matches).

The hosts of the tournament, Latvia and Lithuania, automatically qualified for Euro-2026. Some teams started in the preliminary round, others — directly in the main.

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

Forty participants (34 best national teams according to the ranking as of December 2023 and six best from the preliminary round) were divided into ten groups of four teams each. Each team will play against every other in their group at home and away. The ten group winners join Latvia and Lithuania in the final stage, while the eight best second-placed teams will compete in the playoffs.

During the draw, national teams were divided into four pots of 10 teams each based on their coefficients as of April 18, 2024.

Playoffs (September 15-24, 2025)

The draw will take place on May 21, 2025. Eight teams will be paired into four pairs. After home and away matches, the final four participants of the final stage will be determined.

Final Tournament (January 20 - February 7, 2026)

The draw will take place on October 24, 2025. Sixteen teams will be divided into four groups. The top two best teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals.