Ukraine national team defender Vitaliy Mykolenko, along with the head coach of the national team Serhiy Rebrov, participated in a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifier match against France in Paris.

— Ahead are two important matches. What is felt more in the team – tension or maximum concentration?

— We gathered yesterday, with a very short period of time before the game. I wouldn't say there's tension, but everyone understands the responsibility of the matches we always play for our country. Everyone is positive, yet at the same time aware of how important the upcoming games are. We approach them with full concentration.

— Before the match against Azerbaijan, there was a question about avoiding underestimating the opponent. Now the opposite question arises – how not to overestimate France and go into the game without fear in such a decisive moment?

— I wouldn't say there's any fear. There is respect for the opponent. It's a very good team, top-level players on a global scale. But they are just footballers like us. I don't think there will be overestimation. We'll play to our strengths.

— France is the favorite, and no one expects miracles from you, so there won't be any psychological pressure...

— Pressure in the national team always exists, and I don't think that if we play against a giant like France, there's no pressure regarding the result. We have two matches left to solve the task of qualifying for the World Cup. And when you face such a difficult task, pressure is always there.

— In recent matches for Everton, we noticed that you've been working on taking throw-ins. Is this an initiative from your club coach? And do you plan to bring it into the national team game?

— We haven't talked about this in the national team yet. But there's a trend in modern football where you have to take many throw-ins from the sideline now. At my club, I do exactly that – I can throw the ball into the penalty area. So far without any goal-scoring actions, but I'm trying to throw as far as possible.

— Taras Stepanenko mentioned that when preparing for matches of this level, he tried to maintain concentration for all 90 minutes. To what extent do you and your teammates understand that tomorrow, given the class of the opponent, there's no room for error?

— Taras is right, we need to maintain concentration for all 90 plus minutes. Because any mistake can cost us the match. So we're preparing with full responsibility.

As a reminder, the 2026 World Cup qualifier match between France and Ukraine will take place in Paris on November 13 (kickoff at 21:45 Kyiv time).