Shevchenko’s words before the playoffs are resonating around the world. He said this about Poland.

Last updated Nov 25, 2025

The Ukrainian national team is a potential opponent for Poland in the World Cup playoff final. Serhiy Rebrov’s squad will face Sweden in the first playoff match, while Poland will face Albania. “We are very grateful to Poland for its hospitality and assistance,” announced Andriy Shevchenko, head of the Ukrainian Football Federation.

The Polish national team already knows its playoff path for the World Cup. The Polish national team will face Albania in the semifinals, and in the final, they will face the better team from the Sweden-Ukraine pairing. “We can’t complain. We’re playing the first match against Albania at home. We’re the favorites; I’m not afraid to say that. Obviously, anything can happen in a single match, but a home match is an advantage we have to capitalize on,” said Jan Urban shortly after the draw, which took place last week in Zurich.

This is what Shevchenko says about Poland. “We felt very comfortable.”

Andriy Shevchenko spoke about Ukraine’s playoff path in an interview with champion.com.ua. How does the head of the Ukrainian federation approach a potential match against Poland in the final?

“We are very grateful to Poland for its hospitality and assistance. We felt very comfortable during all the matches we played in this neighboring, friendly country. Now we have a lot of work ahead of us to prepare for the matches in March. We will choose the most convenient venue for the matches, taking into account all the nuances and needs of the Ukrainian national team. Our task is to find the best solution for the team and the fans,” he said.

Shevchenko also spoke about the semifinal clash with Sweden. “We faced one of the strongest opponents, but all the teams in the playoffs are at a high level. Due to the qualification process, it’s very difficult to get a ticket to the World Cup. All the teams are very competitive. The Swedish team is at a very high level, so we have to prepare for the match as best as we can,” added the former Ukrainian international.

How can Ukraine be better than its rivals? “Our team showed a great will to win and good team spirit in the last match against Iceland. The team and the coach managed to convey positive emotions to the entire country. We need to maintain this spirit in the playoffs. The support of all our fans is very important to us,” Shevchenko concluded.

The World Cup play-off matches will take place on March 26 and 31 of next year. Live text coverage of the Polish national team matches is available on 100percentsurewins.com