France vs Ukraine is set to be a thrilling clash in their fifth group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as the two teams vying for the top spot in the group fight for an opportunity to move closer to securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup clash in their upcoming meeting on Thursday, November 13.
The France vs Ukraine clash is poised to be a highly entertaining clash as both teams look to produce some thrilling football to please their fans and also move closer to securing the top spot of Group D. The prospect of clinching World Cup qualification should make this France vs Ukraine clash a really dramatic battle.
Match Details
Parc des Princes
Paris, France
Thursday, November 13
19:45 GMT
High-Flying France Face Stern Test Against Unpredictable Ukraine in Crucial World Cup Qualifier
The France vs Ukraine match should be a pretty eventful clash because of how well these two teams have performed in the group stages of the World Cup so far.
France have picked up 10 points from four matches in their World Cup qualification group so far and are on top of their group, but only has a three-point difference from second-place Ukraine – who has seven points from their four games so far.
France are the heavy favourites to win their group and book a place to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they cannot take the Ukraine clash lightly at all. They will need to be at their prolific best to oust the Ukrainian side and get a dominant win that can strengthen their chances of reaching the World Cup as soon as possible.
The France side actually boasts a pretty good record against Ukraine. They’ve won three of their last five meetings against Ukraine and only lost once in 13 meetings against the Ukrainian side in competitive matches. Didier Deschamps aims to ensure this good record can continue and his side can get another compelling win over Ukraine at the international stages.
Can Kylian Mbappe Rediscover His Mojo Against Ukraine?
Kylian Mbappe has suffered a few hiccups to his impressive start to the 2025/26 season with Real Madrid, as he’s failed to score in their last two matches, including the loss to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.
The Frenchman has already scored 18 goals in 16 appearances for the Spanish giants, but his inability to score in two matches have relayed some criticism towards him. Mbappe is determined to silence his doubters with a proactive and clinical performance in the France vs Ukraine game.
He is currently on 53 goals for France and is also eager to move closer to becoming France’s all-time highest goalscorer. The Real Madrid star will look to use his pace and unpredictable movement to skitter past the Ukraine defenders, and will need to be highly ruthless in finishing off his chances to seal a big win for France.
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Ruslan Malinovskyi Eager To Help Pop Surprise Result Against France
With Ukraine missing some important players because of injury setbacks, they will need their proactive midfielder, Ruslan Malinovskyi, to be at his destructive best against France. Malinovskyi has scored three goals in the last two matches for Ukraine and has been a driving force for them in the World Cup qualification campaign so far.
The 32-year-old has scored just one goal for Genoa in Serie A this season, but that also came in their recent 2-1 win over Sassuolo. He seems to have momentum on his side, and the proactive midfielder needs to be smart with his off-the-ball movement and get into the right areas to stun the French players and finish off chances clinically to guide Ukraine to a big result.
France vs Ukraine injuries
France injuries: Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot
Ukraine injuries: Arseniy Batahov, Artem Dovbyk (doubt), Volodymyr Brazhko
France vs Ukraine Predicted Lineups
Knowing the importance of this clash, both Didier Deschamps and Sergiy Rebrov will be determined to field their strongest teams. Here, we look at the France vs Ukraine predicted lineups:
France predicted XI: Mike Maignan, Malo Gusto, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne, Manu Kone, Eduardo Camavinga, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappe
Ukraine predicted XI: Anatoliy Trubin, Bohdan Mykhaylichenko, Illia Zabarnyi, Mykola Matviyenko, Vitaly Mykolenko, Yehor Yamoliuk, Oleh Ocherto, Ruslan Malinovsky, Oleksiy Hutsulyak, Nazar Voloshyn, Roman Yaremchuk
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / PRESSE SPORTS
Recording Date: 11.11.2025
