The qualification round for Euro 2026 (U-19) triumphantly concluded with the Ukrainian youth team (players born in or after 2007), who won all three matches in their group with identical scores of 3:0, leaving no chance for their opponents, including teams from Albania (the tournament hosts), Montenegro, and Slovakia.

Upon returning to Ukraine, the head coach of the blue-and-yellow team, Dmitro Mykhaylenko, summed up these matches in an interview with the official website of the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF).

— Mr. Dmitro, on a five-point scale, how would you rate your players' performance in the qualification round for Euro?

— I evaluate based on two criteria. So, regarding the result, I give the maximum score because we secured three wins and kept our goal clean throughout. As for the quality of play, there is still room for improvement in certain aspects of our game, so I would rate it a four.

— Based on the gameplay and statistics, your team didn't leave any chances for the opponents. Did you expect more from Albania, Montenegro, and Slovakia?

— The most important thing is that we managed to contain our opponents. For example, the Albanians hit our goal three times, but only one shot was from inside the penalty area. Montenegrins got two shots on target from this zone. In the game against Slovakia, we focused on defense to prevent them from entering dangerous zones. We succeeded in that. And thanks to a strong attacking group, in each match, we found and capitalized on our opportunities. Perhaps not always fairly three goals were scored, but that's how it turned out.

All opponents are quite decent, but we knew how to play against each of them. When the team executes the game plan, half the battle is won. Thanks to good preparation, we confidently secured victories in all matches.  

— Who among your opponents caused you and your players the most trouble on the field?

— I don't want to offend anyone, as we managed to prevent them from posing a serious threat. But probably, I would mention the Slovakian team, which hit our goal more than others.  

— After each match of the national team, the "Man of the Match" is determined. Could you name your player after each game?

— I won't do that because we have leaders in every line. I don't want to undervalue anyone's contribution, which would be unfair. We have a group of performers who played at the level and any one of them could claim this title. We scored a lot and didn't concede once. So, I'll name our entire team as "Man of the Match" (laughs).

— The most goal-scoring player according to the "goal+assist" system was Bohdan Redushko. Is he now a leader in the squad?

— He performs well in set pieces and has good vision of the field. He's definitely one of them. Bohdan means a lot to this team.

— Has the next training camp plan been made?

— We are waiting for the draw, which will take place in December, and we'll base our plans on that. Dates are set, but we need to understand who we're preparing against ahead of the second qualifying round.

Euro 2026 (U-19). Qualification Round. Group 5

November 12, 2025

Montenegro — Slovakia — 0:3

Ukraine — Albania — 3:0

November 15, 2025

Slovakia — Albania — 0:0

Ukraine — Montenegro — 3:0

November 18, 2025

Slovakia — Ukraine — 0:3

Albania — Montenegro — 0:1

Final Standings

As a reminder, 52 teams participated in the qualification round divided into 13 groups of four. The host nation for the finals, Wales, automatically qualified for this tournament, and Spain will enter the competition at the elite round.

Based on the results of the qualifying round, the top two teams from each group, as well as the best third-placed team, join Spain in the elite round. This stage will take place in spring 2026 and will determine seven teams that will join Wales in the finals of Euro 2026 (U-19).