The March matches proved fateful not only for the Ukrainian national team: representatives from three UPL clubs also lost their chances to go to the World Cup
Foreign players from the Ukrainian Premier League suffered painful defeats in the playoff qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. None of them will play in the tournament.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the results of the qualifying matches.
Also read: The world has never seen this: the smallest country in football history will compete in the 2026 World Cup
The drama of Kosovo and the fiasco of Bolivia
The closest to success were representatives from Kosovo – Baton Zaberhdzha (“Metalist 1925”), as well as the duo from “Polissya,” Ilir Krasniqi and Lindon Emerllahu. In a dramatic semifinal of the European playoff, they defeated Slovakia (4:3), but in the final battle for a spot at the 2026 World Cup, they lost to Turkey with a score of 0:1.
Zaberhdzha and Emerllahu only appeared on the field in the first match, while Krasniqi spent both matches on the bench.
A similar fate befell Shakhtar defender Diego Arroyo. His Bolivia team won against Suriname (2:1) in the intercontinental qualifiers, but lost to Iraq (1:2) in the final. The representative of the Ukrainian club spent three minutes on the field in the game against Suriname and did not play in the final.
Bright spots of the March break
Despite team failures in official matches, some legionnaires managed to shine individually in friendly matches and youth competitions.
Nika Gagnidze (“Koloss”) became one of the heroes of Georgia’s victory over Lithuania (2:0), recording an assist.
Gleyker Mendoza (“Kryvbas”) made an assist in Venezuela’s crushing match against Trinidad and Tobago (4:1). His club and national teammate Andruës Araujo also participated in the match.
Bar Lin (“Kryvbas”) helped the Israeli youth national team secure a goalless draw (0:0) in an important Euro 2027 qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Vladislav Baboglo (“Karpaty”) was traditionally a key player for the Moldova national team, spending 168 minutes on the field in friendlies against Lithuania (0:2) and Cyprus (3:2).
Particular attention should be paid to the real “star” test for Alexandria winger Papa Yade. As part of the Mauritania national team, he had the unique opportunity to take the field against the reigning world champions – Argentina. The African team lost with a respectable score of 1:2, and Yade played for 45 minutes, directly facing elite-level players on the field.
Also find out where the Ukrainian national team ranked in the updated FIFA ranking.
