Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated the Ukrainian national football team for their victory in the qualifying match for the World Cup against Scotland. 

Zelensky also said that the match brought joy to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and all of Ukraine with their game and victory.

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“There are moments when many words are not needed! Just pride! Just thanks, guys! Two hours of happiness, from which we have lost the habit. We went out. We fought. We survived. We won. Because the Ukrainians!” – the message says.

“We are all fighting, each on our own front, for this. For our blue and yellow flag, for our coat of arms on our hearts, for “Ukraine has not died…”, which cannot be silenced. We fight, we fight, we stand, we win. Because the Ukrainians!” Zelensky added.

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Recall that the Ukrainian national team won the first play-off against Scotland with a score of 3: 1 for the right to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The goals were scored by Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbik.

Ukraine dominated for much of a deserved win but had to resist a Scotland revival as risk-filled attacks brought a goal in the 79th by Callum McGregor, before Ukraine substitute Artem Dovbyk broke clear to score with the last kick of the game.

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Dovbyk led teammates toward the corner of the stadium to share the celebration with 3,000 Ukraine fans in the 51,000 crowd, applauding each other with hands raised high above their heads.

Ukraine coach Oleksandr Petrakov said the win was for “the armed forces in the trenches and in the hospitals, who give their last drop of blood, those in Ukraine who suffer every day.”

Now Ukraine moves on to face Wales on Sunday with a place at the World Cup at stake.

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The winner in Cardiff will go to Qatar in November to play in a group against England, the United States and Iran.

Ukraine put in a slick display despite using six starters who had not played a competitive game of any kind since December.

Most of Ukraine’s squad play for home-based clubs whose league was shut down after Russia’s invasion, and the playoff in Glasgow was postponed in March. FIFA and Scotland agreed to give the Ukrainian team a fair chance to prepare for games that have become a focus of national identity and pride.