Ukraine never gave up, and it paid off. Fans at Polish Army Stadium were on the edge of their seats as Ukraine pulled off a 2-0 victory in the dying minutes against Iceland in the final matchday of the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
All they needed was one. Iceland fought hard to keep the deadlock, but it eventually broke. Ukraine found the game-winning goal from a corner kick with less than five minutes left in regulation time. They say two headers in the penalty area are synonymous with a goal, and that proved true as Oleksandr Zubkov found the back of the net to send Ukraine through to the UEFA Play-Off Round. With Iceland fully on the attack, a counterattack from Ukraine led to the insurance 2-0 goal.
A win or draw would have sent Iceland through to the playoffs instead, but Ukraine finally struck the decisive blow, breaking hearts across the Land of Fire and Ice.
When the final whistle blew, Iceland fell to third place in Group D of the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, officially waving goodbye their dream of making the 2026 FIFA World Cup—to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. With the 2-0 loss to Ukraine, Iceland have been eliminated from World Cup contention.
Andri Gudjohnsen at Tarczynski Arena on March 26, 2024 in Wroclaw, Poland.
Iceland fail to make second World Cup appearance
Iceland failed to rise back up, and instead their World Cup hopes were over as Ukraine defeated them 2-0 in a decisive matchup in Group D.
see also
Did Ukraine qualify for 2026 World Cup after beating Iceland?
Iceland remained hopeful until the end, but it simply wasn’t to be. In heartbreaking fashion, Ukraine scored two late goals to keep their hopes alive. Meanwhile, Iceland failed to make the FIFA World Cup for the second time in soccer history. The Land of Fire and Ice had made the tournament in 2018.
Moreover, they have only recorded one point in World Cup history, and that came from a 1-1 draw against Lionel Messi and Argentina. To make their lone appearance even more memorable, goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson stopped a penalty shot from the Argentine star.
Group D standings
- France (16 points)
- Ukraine (10 points)
- Iceland (7 points)
- Azerbaijan (1 point)
