Ukraine national team defender Illia Zabarnyi along with head coach Serhiy Rebrov participated in a press conference the day before the match against France for the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Wrocław.

— Illia, how do you feel about your new role as a player of «PSG»? Do you experience more stress being a player of a big club while still playing for the national team of Ukraine?

— Yes, this is a new situation for me, but I was waiting for this call and am happy to join «PSG». It's a great club with big ambitions. And it's also an opportunity for me to represent my country on the international stage and win trophies that I deserve.

I have already played for the new club and felt that the French league is somewhat different. But this is definitely not a step down — Ligue 1 is interesting in itself, and overall I feel good in my new team. 

— How does it feel to play home matches abroad?

— This definitely differs from when we play in Ukraine. It's noticeable — these are completely different games. We all miss playing at our home football fields and want to return as soon as possible. But now we're focusing on the situation at hand. For almost four years, there has been a war in our country, and wherever we are, we play and represent it. Our main goal is to represent our country as best as we can. 

— Everyone knows that you're playing for «PSG» alongside a goalkeeper from the RF. Was this a difficult decision for you, or did you discuss it with your coach?

— I've already talked about this in an interview. If you want, you can find and watch it. Right now, I'm focused on the Ukraine national team. 

— The start of qualification is a clean slate. The Ukraine national team is not the favorite of the group, but do you have faith that we can win this group?

— Yes, there's definitely faith. This is football, anything can happen. We've already beaten good teams before. We have a good team, so there are all chances. We understand that the French are favorites. They have a great team. But, to repeat myself, in football, everything can happen. So we will try our best to win and take first place. 

— Have you talked with your PSG teammates about tomorrow's match?

— We actually exchanged a few words. Both me and them — we're all looking forward to a good game. 

— How do you stop Mbappé? Share your impressions of this forward, who is surely one of the candidates for the Ballon d'Or this year. And generally — name your top three candidates for the Ballon d'Or.

— Everyone knows how strong Mbappé is. He's a leader, a high-quality forward. It will be very difficult to play against him. I won't reveal my cards before the game.

My top three candidates for the Ballon d'Or are as follows: Dembélé — number one, Raphinha and Yamal. 

Reminder: The 2026 World Cup qualifier match between Ukraine and France will take place in Wrocław on September 5 (kickoff at 9:45 PM Kyiv time).