The Ukrainian national football team represents Ukraine in international men’s football and is managed by the Ukrainian Association of Football, the governing body for football in Ukraine. The team, as an entity, has called upon formidable players, highly adaptable when it comes to football. Thus, the country can be proclaimed as one of the European nations with abundant talent. In this article by bestsoccertips.com, we present the top 10 best Ukraine soccer player.
Top 10 Ukraine Best Soccer Players
1. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Zinchenko, born on December 15, 1996, is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the Ukraine national team.
Zinchenko began his career at the Russian Premier League club Ufa before joining Manchester City in 2016 for a fee of around £1.7 million. A versatile player, he started his career as an attacking midfielder but eventually transitioned to playing left-back or wing-back under Pep Guardiola.
Since then, he has won 4 Premier League titles, 4 League Cups, and 1 FA Cup with the club. A Ukrainian international since 2015, Zinchenko has represented his country at UEFA Euro 2020.
2. Andriy Yarmolenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Yarmolenko, a prominent figure in Ukrainian football, has demonstrated excellence and significant contributions to the sport’s history. Born on October 23, 1989, Yarmolenko has had a successful and impressive career as a professional footballer.
He has built a reputation for his versatility and adaptability on the field, often playing as a winger or forward for various clubs he has represented. Currently, he is an integral part of Al Ain Club, one of the leading teams in the United Arab Emirates, where he continues to showcase his talent and experience.
Not only a great club player, Andriy Yarmolenko is also a shining star for the Ukrainian national team, where he has served as captain. Since making his international debut in 2009, he has become an icon for the Ukrainian team, scoring 45 goals in 109 appearances.
Yarmolenko has also been present in many significant European football events, including UEFA Euro 2012, Euro 2016, and Euro 2020, where he played a crucial role in his national team’s success. With talent, commitment, and leadership qualities, Andriy Yarmolenko continues to be a pioneer in the development and reputation of Ukrainian football on the international stage.
3. Roman Yaremchuk
Roman Olehovych Yaremchuk was born on November 27, 1995. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian club Club Brugge and the Ukraine national team. After attending Dynamo Kyiv’s youth academy, Yaremchuk began playing for the club’s reserve team in 2013 and was promoted to the first team two years later.
Subsequently, he was loaned to Ukrainian club Oleksandriya for the 2016–17 season before moving to Belgian club Gent in 2018. A year later, he transferred to Benfica for a fee of €18.5 million before returning to Belgium the following season, signing with Club Brugge for €16 million. After representing Ukraine at various youth levels, Yaremchuk was first called up to the national team in September 2018 and played at UEFA Euro 2020.
4. Mykhaylo Mudryk
Mykhaylo Petrovych Mudryk was born on January 5, 2001. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a winger for FC Shakhtar Donetsk. Mudryk began his football career at Metalist Kharkiv in 2010 before moving to the Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk academy.
From 2017 to 2018, he played for the Ukrainian national under-17 football team. From 2018 to 2019, he played for the Ukrainian national under-19 football team, appearing in 11 matches and scoring 5 goals. In 2019, he was called up to the Ukrainian national under-21 football team, playing 9 matches and scoring 1 goal. On September 7, 2021, he scored the decisive goal from a free-kick against Armenia.
5. Vitaliy Mykolenko
Vitaliy Serhiyovych Mykolenko, born on May 29, 1999, is one of the notable talents in Ukrainian football. He began his professional career as a left-back, playing a significant role in the success of Premier League club Everton as well as the Ukraine national team.
Mykolenko’s career has not only stood out internationally but also at every step of his youth career. He has progressed through all levels of Ukrainian youth football, from the U17s, U19s to the U21s, before officially making his debut for the national team.
On November 20, 2018, Mykolenko made an impressive debut for the Ukraine national team, stepping onto the field in a friendly match against Turkey. Noteworthy is not just his involvement in the match, but also the trust placed in him to commence the game, showcasing remarkable assurance and confidence for a young player.
Mykolenko has demonstrated his importance in international football through his dedication and skill, becoming a crucial component of both the Ukraine national team and his affiliated club.
6. Artem Dovbyk
Artem Oleksandrovych Dovbyk was born on June 21, 1997. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ukrainian Premier League club Dnipro-1 and the Ukraine national team.
Dovbyk received a summons to join the Ukrainian national under-19 football team’s training camp but did not see any action during his time with the squad. At the age of 19, he earned his initial call-up to the senior national team when he was included in the 31-man roster for the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying fixture against Iceland on September 5, 2016. However, he did not make his debut for the national team at that time.
He participated in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2017 qualifying when he was just 19 years old and also participated in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2019 qualifying. He made his debut for Ukraine on March 31, 2021, in a World Cup qualifying match against Kazakhstan.
7. Andriy Lunin
Andriy Oleksiyovych was born on February 11, 1999. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Ukraine national team. Lunin is a product of the FC Metalist Youth Sports School and the FC Dnipro Youth Sports School System.
Lunin made his debut for the Ukrainian national team at the age of 19 on March 23, 2018, in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In 2019, he helped the Ukraine U20 team win their first FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Lunin participated in six out of seven matches for his team, sitting out the quarter-final clash against Colombia due to his inclusion in Ukraine’s primary squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers versus Serbia and Luxembourg. Following an impressive 3–1 triumph in the final against South Korea, Lunin received the prestigious Golden Glove award, recognizing him as the tournament’s top goalkeeper.
8. Danylo Ihnatenko
Danylo Ihorovych Ihnatenko was born on March 13, 1997. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bordeaux and the Ukraine national team. Ihnatenko is a product of the Metalurh Zaporizhzhia youth system. His first coach was Mykola Syenovalov.
He made his debut for Metalurh Zaporizhzhia in the Ukrainian Premier League in a match against Dynamo Kyiv on May 30, 2015. Ihnatenko made his debut for Ukraine in a 1–0 victory in the UEFA Nations League against the Republic of Ireland on June 8, 2022.
9. Oleksandr Tymchyk
Oleksandr Vasylyovych Tymchyk was born on January 20, 1997. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team. Tymchyk is a product of the BRW-BIK Volodymyr-Volynskyi and FC Dynamo youth sports schools. His first coach was Ruslan Gan.
He began his career in the Ukrainian Premier League’s reserve team and was promoted to the main team in October 2016. Tymchyk made his Ukrainian Premier League debut for Dynamo Kyiv in a match against Dnipro as a starting player on November 6, 2016. He made his professional debut for Ukraine in a 2–1 victory in the UEFA Nations League against Switzerland on September 3, 2020.
10. Andriy Pyatov
Andriy Valeriyovych Pyatov was born on June 28, 1984. He is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Pyatov began his career in Kirovohrad, playing for the amateur club Artemida, sponsored by a local distillery, in the amateur championship in 2000 when he was just 15 years old.
Pyatov was a member of the Ukrainian national under-21 football team and played 20 matches. He was also a member of the Ukrainian national team that participated in the 2006 World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals. Pyatov made his senior debut for Ukraine in 2007.
Since then, he has amassed over 90 caps for the Ukrainian national team. He started the FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign with a clean sheet against Belarus to help Ukraine secure a 1–0 victory in Lviv.
In May 2021, despite playing a limited role for his club during the 2020–21 season, Pyatov was still named in the final 26-man squad for the rescheduled UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. Pyatov played his 102nd international match and final match on June 11, 2022, starting with a 3–0 win against Armenia.
Conclusion
The Ukrainian national football team stands as a testament to the country’s rich footballing tradition and talent. With players like Andriy Pyatov, Andriy Lunin, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, among others, the team embodies a blend of experience, skill, and determination. Their achievements, both at the club level and on the international stage, showcase their dedication to the sport and their country. As they continue to represent Ukraine with pride and passion, they inspire fans and aspiring players alike, ensuring that the legacy of Ukrainian football remains strong for years to come.
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