The Ukrainian youth team (players born in 2007 or later) completed their training camp, during which the blue and yellow team participated in a friendly tournament featuring teams from Spain (hosts of the competition), England, and the Netherlands.

After returning home, the head coach of our national team, Dmitry Mykhaylenko, spoke about the recent work, which was the last before the qualification round for Euro-2026 (U-19).

— Mr. Dmitry, are you satisfied with how the team worked in Spain?

— Of course. First of all, because we hadn't met for over a year. Many players have changed, and we were happy to see each other, especially to test ourselves against such top European national teams. We received more information than necessary and there is plenty to work on.

— Despite the friendly nature of the tournament, are you not disappointed by the three losses?

— Not at all. We knew the strength of our opponents, so we deliberately went for this experience. The Ukrainian national team is rarely invited to such company. Tournaments that invite us often gather teams of lower levels, but we were lucky this time. In games against such strong opponents, it was important for us to see ourselves, to see players who came from abroad clubs, since the information we receive is minimal, and here we get to see the potential of these boys firsthand.

— In which match did you have the fewest complaints about your wards?

— In the first game, if I'm honest, we didn't expect anything extraordinary from our players. But when we played against England and then watched their matches, we understood how powerful this national team is. The level of individual skill in them is simply cosmic. It was very difficult for us to stand up to such an opponent. Our team tried its best, suffering a 0-2 loss.

But after each game, the Ukrainian team improved. Even despite conceding three goals from the Netherlands in the first half, the quality of our play was much higher. In the match against Spain as well, it wasn't easy, but we had chances for a draw. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I am satisfied with many episodes in the performance of the Ukrainian national team in the second and third matches.

Photo by the press service of UAF

— Which team looked strongest in play?

— Without a doubt, this is England's team. In my opinion, it is currently the strongest national team on the continent. It far outpaces others in terms of the number of call-ups to club first teams.

— Now you need to determine who deserves a place in the qualification round squad?

— Absolutely correct. Unfortunately, due to injuries at the previous camp, we couldn't involve three midfield players, and this somewhat muddied our plans. I hope that by November these footballers will be fit, and we will go into the qualification round of the European Championship with our strongest lineup.

International youth team tournament in Spain

03.09.2025. England — Ukraine — 2:0

03.09.2025. Spain — Netherlands — 1:0

06.09.2025. Ukraine — Netherlands — 1:3

06.09.2025. Spain — England — 3:3

09.09.2025. Spain — Ukraine — 3:1

09.09.2025. Netherlands — England — 1:4

Final standings

Results of the Euro-2026 (U-19) qualification round draw

Group 1: Ireland, Netherlands, Cyprus, Kazakhstan.

Group 2: France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands.

Group 3: Turkey, Greece, Belarus, Liechtenstein.

Group 4: Israel, Austria, Slovenia, Luxembourg.

Group 5: Ukraine, Slovakia, Montenegro, Albania.

Group 6: Serbia, Croatia, Georgia, Gibraltar.

Group 7: Romania, Iceland, Finland, Andorra.

Group 8: England, Scotland, Latvia, Lithuania.

Group 9: Italy, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova.

Group 10: Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, San Marino.

Group 11: Portugal, Belgium, North Macedonia, Estonia.

Group 12: Norway, Germany, Armenia, Kosovo.

Group 13: Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Malta, Azerbaijan.

52 teams are divided into 13 groups of four participants each. The hosts of the final stage, Wales' national team, automatically receive a bye to this tournament, while Spain's national team will enter the competition in the elite round qualification.

Based on the results of the qualification round, the top two teams from each group and the best third-placed team advance to the elite round. This will take place in spring 2026 in seven groups that will determine seven national teams joining Wales in the final stage of Euro-2026 (U-19).

Schedule for Ukraine's U-19 youth team matches in the Euro-2026 qualification round

12.11.2025. Ukraine — Albania

15.11.2025. Ukraine — Montenegro 

18.11.2025. Slovakia — Ukraine