Ukrainian national team defender Vitaliy Mykolenko, along with head coach Serhiy Rebrov, participated in a press conference the day before a World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Iceland in Reykjavik.

— A busy schedule, but we have recovered for today's training. We will prepare and be ready for tomorrow's important match.  

— What are the main focuses of the coaches? What makes the Icelandic team particularly dangerous?

— We analyzed their recent matches. Iceland plays very well during set pieces — both in attack and defense. So we paid more attention to these moments. Overall, I think they have improved since our last match in Wroclaw. They are playing more with the ball, but we will see tomorrow. 

— Is there a sense of pressure from fans who expect only a win to secure qualification for the playoffs?

— When you play at this level for your national team, for your home country, there is always pressure. It doesn't matter if it's an official game or a friendly match. We have probably gotten used to it. 

Reminder: The World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Iceland and Ukraine will take place in Reykjavik on October 10 (kickoff at 9:45 PM Kyiv time).