Ukraine lost to France in the 2026 Olympic qualification match.

The Ukrainian national ice hockey team lost to France with a score of 7:2 in the first match of the 2024 Olympic qualification final. This was reported by the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation.

«Our hockey players started the match well against the French, but due to their mistakes and inefficiency in finishing moments, we conceded two goals in the first period and could not score any. Then the French team continued their victory», the statement said.

In the final third, Ukrainian players demonstrated their will to fight and even scored two good goals: Vitaliy Lyalko hit the net from his «office», and Oleksandr Peresunko outplayed opponents while shorthanded and scored a goal. As a result, the score became 7:2.

Tomorrow, August 30, Ukraine will play the second match against Latvia in the Olympic qualification tournament. The match starts at 20:00.

Qualification for the 2026 Olympics. Group E

France - Ukraine 7:2 (2:0, 3:0, 2:2)

Goals: 08:47 Chaulieu - 1:0, 15:33 Da Costa (Auvitu, Texier) - 2:0, 24:11 Bellemare - 3:0, 28:22 Treille (Chakuliev, Diube) - 4:0, 29:50 Diube (Bozon) - 5:0, 43:08 Lyalko (Pangelov-Yuldashev, Deniskin - powerplay) - 5:1, 44:41 Perret (Fabre) - 6:1, 49:41 Bertrand (Texier, Da Costa) - 7:1, 58:42 Peresunko (shorthanded) - 7:2

Goalkeepers: Papillon - Dyachenko (Zakharchenko)

Shots: 34 - 27

Let us remind you that former Ukrainian national team hockey player and former employee of the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation Vyacheslav Zavalyuk became coach of the "Chaika" club from Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Youth Hockey League. The Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation expressed condemnation regarding the actions of the former Ukrainian hockey player.