Ukraine Finish Third in the Inaugural 2025 Canadian Shield Tournament

Final Standings from the 2025 Canadian Shield Tournament. Image Credit: Mark Temnycky

After a series of interesting and entertaining fixtures, the Canadian Shield Tournament has ended. Canada won the inaugural competition, while New Zealand finished as runners-up. Ukraine placed third, and Ivory Coast were at the bottom of the group. Unlike a traditional tournament format, however, each team only played two matches instead of three. This meant that not all four teams played the same opponents.

When reflecting on Ukraine’s participation, senior men’s national team manager Serhiy Rebrov said it was good that his squad played in the competition. He argued that it helped his team compete against new opponents. He also said the tournament served as a way to help Ukraine prepare for their qualification cycle this autumn, where his team hopes to secure a place in the World Cup next summer. Rebrov thanked the Canada Soccer Association for inviting Ukraine to the tournament, and he enjoyed Ukraine’s participation. Finally, he thanked the Ukrainian diaspora for their support of Ukraine during the games.

The Canadian Shield Tournament also presented Rebrov with an opportunity to experiment with some younger footballers. This autumn, Ukraine will play six matches to try and earn their place in world football’s most prestigious event. The Ukrainians were paired with France, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. All four teams will play six matches, three home and three away, against similar opponents. The team with the best record after these six games will advance to the World Cup group stage. Meanwhile, the team that finishes in second place in the qualification group will advance to the qualification playoffs, which will be played in March 2026. Any team finishing outside the top two places in the group will not advance.

There will also be fewer matches played during the qualification cycle this autumn. As a result, Rebrov will need to make some difficult decisions about how he will proceed with his national team selection. Several veteran players, such as Andriy Yarmolenko, Taras Stepanenko, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Serhiy Sydorchuk, are well into their 30s, meaning it is likely time for Rebrov to select a set of younger players who will need to help Ukraine fight for a qualification place in the World Cup next year. In addition, some regular players for the national team picked up injuries toward the end of the 2024-2025 season with their respective clubs, meaning they will be available for selection this autumn.

But the Canadian Shield Tournament has made Ukraine’s selection process slightly easier. When Ukraine faced New Zealand, Rebrov selected a younger and less-experienced squad, yet the Zbirna defeated a senior All Whites side. This is an encouraging sign from Ukraine’s younger players. Many of them are still fighting to prove themselves as they look to be included in the qualification squad. Performances from the likes of Bohdan Mykhaylychenko, Yevhen Cheberko, and Oleksiy Hutsulyak during the Canadian Shield Tournament may indicate that they will be able to contribute to Ukraine's qualification process this autumn. Their involvement in the competition in Canada also suggests that Ukraine may be well-positioned for the World Cup qualification cycle this autumn.

Some supporters of the Ukrainian senior men’s national team thought it was an odd decision for the Ukrainians to come to Canada, arguing that they should be giving their players a rest after a long and grueling season. Others thought the distance from Europe to North America was not worth it.

But the experience gained during the tournament, along with the support from the Ukrainian-Canadian diaspora during the matches, made the trip worthwhile for Ukraine’s senior men’s national team. They learned how to play against difficult opponents, and the tournament served as a preview of who they might face in the 2026 World Cup, should they qualify.

Now that the Canadian Shield Tournament has ended, Ukraine’s senior men’s national team will travel home. They will need time to rest and reflect on their performances as they prepare for the qualification cycle this autumn. Will the Zbirna qualify for next year’s tournament? Time will tell if their participation in the Canadian Shield Tournament has helped them prepare for the qualification cycle.

Mark Temnycky is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs.