At 18, Yehor Yarmoliuk chose a path that not many teenagers dare to take, leaving Ukraine to dive into the unknown of the English Premier League.
Mykola Matviyenko’s journey could not have been more different. He has stayed true to his boyhood club Shakhtar Donetsk, carving out a career in the Ukrainian top flight for more than a decade.
On Thursday, the two will take to the pitch with the same goal in mind: to keep Ukraine’s dream of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026™ alive.
The European play-offs will see Ukraine face Sweden in Valencia, with the winners going on to face either Poland or Albania five days later. The winners of Path B will then be able to look forward to a trip across the Atlantic, where they will compete in Group F alongside Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia.
Both the young starlet and his national-team captain will arrive in the Ukrainian camp brimming with confidence on the back of their impressive club form this season.
At 16, Yarmoliuk became the second youngest-ever debutant in the Ukrainian Premier League. He impressed so much that his club, SC Dnipro-1, were swamped with enquiries for his services, but it was Brentford who ultimately snapped him up in 2022.
He has since established himself at the heart of the West Londoners’ midfield and is now an integral part of a side pushing for European qualification. “It’s going very well for us as a team and I’m very happy with my own performances,” Yarmoliuk told FIFA. “It makes me extremely proud to get so many minutes in the Premier League.”
He has developed all sides of his game while playing alongside the likes of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, and has shed the nerves that initially beset him before clashes with some of the stars of the Premier League. “Perhaps at the beginning I may have been a bit surprised to see some of those faces on the pitch. But now I have played 100 games and it’s become completely normal.”
His national-team captain has also been impressed with his development. “Yehor is a really talented young player,” enthused Matviyenko. “He has shown his level in one of the strongest leagues in the world. He has a bright future ahead, I am sure of that.”
The 22-year-old has seven international caps to his name, compared to 82 for Matviyenko. The 29-year-old defender, who has proudly worn the Shakhtar Donetsk crest on his chest since childhood, is currently sitting at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League and is aiming to win the sixth league title of his career.
The circumstances have not been easy for him or his Shakhtar team-mates, to say the least. “The war has actually been going on for much longer than four years. We were forced to leave our home in Donetsk.” The team and fans now have to travel long distances for matches, but “all of that takes a back seat,” insisted Matviyenko.
Right now, however, it is all about focusing on leading Ukraine through the play-offs. “We have a very good national team, combining experienced players with talented youngsters. Our main strengths are team spirit, unity and the great desire to do everything possible to bring joy to our supporters during this difficult time for the country.”
Yarmoliuk also revealed how the Ukrainians plan to make that happen: “We will leave the best version of ourselves on the pitch, and we will play our football. High pressing, fast passing, proper football. I believe it will be a really good game.”
“Everyone understands that we face a very tough match,” continued Matviyenko. “I think it will be an intense game where we will need all of our commitment. The World Cup is our goal and our dream. It would be a huge achievement and a great inspiration for everyone [in the country if we could get there].”
It certainly would be an achievement that the two would be delighted to have on their CVs, as different as they may be.
