Prediction: Ukraine vs France

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Ukraine and France square off in Wroclaw on Friday evening, opening their respective bids for a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Because France contested the UEFA Nations League finals, Les Bleus were drawn into one of the smaller four-team qualifying sections, where the outcome will be determined in just a three-month span.

Ukraine

Ukraine enter their opener under pressure, knowing that anything less than a win could severely damage their chances of topping the group. Automatic qualification has long eluded them, and their poor record in playoffs — losing three of the last four — underlines just how crucial a strong start is.

Despite consistent appearances at the Euros, including Euro 2024, Ukraine remain one-time World Cup participants, famously reaching the quarter-finals in 2006. Their latest Euros campaign highlighted their fragility: four points in the group were not enough due to a costly 3-0 loss to Romania, with all four teams finishing level. Since then, inconsistency has plagued Sergiy Rebrov’s side, who stumbled in the Nations League and then lost a playoff to Belgium despite holding a 3-1 advantage from the first leg.

June’s North American tour further underlined their unpredictability: a 4-2 loss to Canada followed by a narrow 2-1 win over New Zealand. Nevertheless, milestones beckon for Illia Zabarnyi and Vitaliy Mykolenko, both set to reach 50 caps this month.

Team News

Key absences include Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, leaving Anatoliy Trubin to start between the posts, while Oleksandr Tymchyk also misses out.

Benfica’s new signing Georgiy Sudakov will be tested against elite opposition, while striker Artem Dovbyk seeks redemption after being sidelined at Roma.

France

This qualifying campaign marks the beginning of the end for Didier Deschamps, who has confirmed he will step down as France boss after the World Cup finals in North America next summer. The 2018 champions therefore have one final chance under his guidance to add to their trophy cabinet, having fallen short again in the Nations League back in June.

That campaign brought its fair share of drama, as Les Bleus overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Croatia to win on penalties in the quarter-final, before suffering a remarkable 5-4 defeat to Spain in the semis, where they almost recovered from four goals down in the final 10 minutes. Germany were brushed aside 2-0 in the third-place playoff, offering a small measure of redemption after the defensive collapse against La Roja.

Even with questions circling over Deschamps’ future, France’s recent record remains formidable, with only Germany, Spain, Italy and Croatia managing to beat them since the 2022 World Cup final. Their passage to North America looks assured, but they begin with what could be their trickiest test on paper, facing Ukraine away – albeit in neutral Wroclaw. A victory would instantly cement their status as Group C favourites.

France have not missed a World Cup since 1994, and their record on the grandest stage is impeccable: two titles and two further final appearances since 1998, offsetting the debacles of 2002 and 2010. Their history with Ukraine is also favourable, as Les Bleus have lost just once in 12 meetings – the first leg of the 2014 playoff – before turning the tie around with a 3-0 win in Paris. More recently, a 7-1 friendly thrashing in 2020 was followed by two draws in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

Team News

Deschamps must make do without William Saliba, who sustained a muscle injury in Arsenal’s loss to Liverpool, while Rayan Cherki has also withdrawn. The Lyon man’s place has gone to Hugo Ekitike, one of two potential debutants alongside Maghnes Akliouche.

Adrien Rabiot remains involved despite his turbulent Marseille departure, but Warren Zaire-Emery, Randal Kolo Muani and Matteo Guendouzi all miss out compared to the squad for June’s Nations League finals.

Conclusion

France face a tough opening test, but even a single point from this clash would leave them well-placed in the group, with victories against Iceland and Azerbaijan at home and on the road widely anticipated later in the campaign.

Ukraine managed to hold Les Bleus to draws in both encounters during 2022 World Cup qualifying, and while their recent form has been mixed, they clearly possess the quality to challenge them once again.

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: ZetBet