Iceland Faces Ukraine in Crucial World Cup Qualifier Match

Reykjavík, Iceland — The Ukrainian national soccer team will play against the Icelandic team on October 10, 2025, in what is expected to be a crucial qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The game kicks off at 21:45 Kyiv time at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium.

Ukraine enters this match with a challenging qualification start, having lost their first game against France with a score of 2-0. Goals were scored by Olise and Mbappé for France. In their second match, they only managed a 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan. In contrast, Iceland achieved a convincing 5-0 win over Azerbaijan in their opener but narrowly lost to France, finishing 2-1.

Ukraine currently sits at the bottom of Group D standings with only one point, while Iceland has three points, trailing France, which has six. The teams are eager for the three points that could significantly impact their standings.

The Ukrainian coach, Serhiy Rebrov, has called up players Ruslan Malinovskyi and Volodymyr Brazhko, who are returning to the squad after a long absence. However, they will miss midfielder Viktor Tsyhankov due to injury. Defender Oleksandr Tymchyk has also reported injuries and left the training camp. Yehor Yarmoliuk has been diagnosed with an ankle ligament injury and will not play today, but he remains with the team as he aims to recover for the upcoming match against Azerbaijan.

The refereeing team consists of Sven Jablonski as the main official, with Eduard Beitinger and Lasse Kozlowski as assistant referees, while Florian Badstübner serves as the fourth official. The VAR system will be managed by Benjamin Brand and Daniel Schlager.

As for betting, odds show Iceland slightly favored with a win at 2.8, while Ukraine’s victory is set at 2.4, and a draw at 3.4, suggesting a tight match ahead.