SUMMARY
- Ukraine's national soccer team has defeated Iceland in Germany.
- Ukraine has now been qualified for the UEFA Euro 2024.
The Ukrainian National team has qualified for the upcoming European Championship in Germany, bringing a moment of joy to the Ukrainian people in these tough times.
Ukraine was trailing 1-0 at halftime but nine minutes into the second half, Viktor Tsyhankov scored a stunner and equalized. Then, Chelsea star Mykhaib Mudryk scored the 84th-minute winner, securing their place in the European Championship finals.
However, due to the ongoing Russian invasion, the Ukrainian team was forced to play their qualification matches in Poland, but despite these hard times, the players and fans remained united. After the full-time whistle, the players were seen running and celebrating all around the place, whereas fans were as loud as possible.
Throughout their qualification rounds, Ukraine got surreal support in the Polish country and never got the feeling of playing away from home. The Ukrainian crowd was there in every game and never left their team alone.
Initially, after finishing third in the qualifying group, Ukraine played in the playoff round and beat Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first playoff, resulting in a place and victory in the final against Iceland.
President Zelensky praises the team
Meanwhile, after this historic 2-1 victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also reacted to the victory and thanked the players for their unbelievable performance. Zelensky wrote on X. “Thank you, team! for the important victory and making it to Euro,” The Ukrainian President also added that Ukraine will keep fighting the tough situations and will not give up.
Дякую, хлопці!
Дякую, збірна!
За надважливі емоції для всієї країни.
За надважливу перемогу і вихід на Євро.
За те, що вкотре довели: коли українцям важко, але вони не здаються і продовжують боротьбу, тоді українці неодмінно перемагають.
В часи, коли нас щодня хочуть знищити, ми… pic.twitter.com/a79qFxHO9K— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2024
Alongside the President of the country, Arsenal star, and a player who openly asked for support for Ukraine Oleksandr Zinchenko, reacted and said “I am very proud to be a Ukrainian, to be of the same blood as those who are now giving their lives for our freedom,” after the victory.
The Ukrainian people and the government are surviving under terrible conditions at this moment. Therefore, the victory against Iceland and the qualification for the Euros is just a moment of pride for the Ukrainian community.
What’s next for Ukraine’s soccer team?
Ukraine is set to play in the UEFA Euro 2024. They are placed in Group E alongside Belgium, Slovakia, and Romania and will be looking to surprise the world yet again. However, Belgium is the favorite to top the group, whereas Ukraine will target the second spot. Coach Serhiy Rebrov is grateful about the situation and is very optimistic for the coming tournament.
“This win is for our supporters, for our country, for our people, for our soldiers who are now protecting our freedom” 🗣️
Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov made sure everyone knew their win against Iceland was more than just a football match 🇺🇦 💪#UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/cG7yzkCrcm
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) March 27, 2024
Alongside the coach, the whole team is looking forward to the competition and will try to bring happiness to their people’s lives by going as far as possible. Meanwhile, back home Ukraine keeps on fighting its war against Russia and still trying to save their land. After the invasion, Russia was banned by UEFA and will not be participating in the competition.