Ukraine face France in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifier at Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland, with the fixture played on neutral ground due to ongoing security concerns.
The two sides last met in September 2021, where goals from Mykola Shaparenko and Anthony Martial forced a 1-1 draw in Kyiv. France went on to top the group, while Ukraine missed qualification after a playoff defeat to Wales.
Head-to-head, France lead with 6 wins from 12 matches, while Ukraine have just one victory; their last two meetings both ended in draws.
Ukraine take on France in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers at Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland, on Friday (September 5, 2025). Watch the Ukraine vs France football match tonight.
This marks the first meeting between Ukraine and France since their meeting in Kyiv in September 2021, also a World Cup qualifying game. Mykola Shaparenko scored in the 44th minute for Ukraine, but Anthony Martial cancelled the lead within six minutes as they settled for a 1-1 draw.
Les Blues eventually won the group, while the Blue and Yellow headed to the playoffs only to suffer a 0-1 defeat against Wales in the final, thus stretching their World Cup Finals absence to a fourth successive edition.
Tonight, the two teams will resume their rivalry in a neutral ground, in Wroclaw, Poland, due to ongoing security concerns in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Both teams come into this match with mixed form: winning two and losing two in four games played each this year.
Ukraine beat Belgium 3-1 but lost 0-3 in the return leg during the UEFA Nations League play-offs; suffered a 2-4 defeat to Canada, and beat New Zealand 2-1 in the Canadian Shield Tournament.
France, meanwhile, beat Germany in the Nations League third-place playoff after losing to Spain in the semi-final. Before that, they survived a penalty shoot-out against Croatia after the two-legged tie ended in a 2-2 draw.
In terms of World Cup history, France have won the tournament twice, in 1998 and 2018, and finished as runners-up in 2006 and 2022. Ukraine, competing as an independent nation, have qualified only once, in 2006, where they reached the quarter-finals.
Ukraine Vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers: Head-To-Head
France and Ukraine have clashed 12 times on the international stage, with Les Bleus emerging victorious in six encounters, while Ukraine have managed one win. The remaining five matches ended in stalemates, including their two most recent meetings, both 1-1 draws.
Iceland and Azerbaijan are the other teams in Group D. Only the group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, while the runners-up enter the playoff round.
Ukraine Vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers: Live Streaming
When to watch Ukraine Vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers?
The Ukraine Vs France World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers will be played on Saturday, 6 September at 12:15 am IST.
Where to watch Ukraine Vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers?
The Ukraine Vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network in India, with live streaming available on the Sony LIV app and website.
