The Ukrainian national handball team suffered a defeat in the first match of the second round of qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The “blue and yellow” lost to the Slovak national team with a score of 24:27.
Ukraine began its 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign in the second round. The “blue and yellow” team missed out on a chance to start in the third round of qualifying, as they finished outside the top 12 of this year's European Championship.
Suspilne Sport is the official broadcaster of the 2027 World Handball Championship qualification in Ukraine. Watch the competition live on the Suspilne Sport platforms and local Suspilne channels.
The first opponent of the Ukrainian national team was Slovakia, and the winner of the confrontation in the final round of selection will meet the national team of North Macedonia. The last time the national teams of Ukraine and Slovakia met was in November 2025 during a friendly match, in which the “blue-yellow” suffered a defeat 31:32.
The Ukrainian national team approached the match against Slovakia with the loss of five key players: Ivan Burzak, Dmytro Artemenko, Maksym Strelnikov, Zakhar Denisov, and Ilya Blyznyuk were unable to help the team due to injuries.
How was the match?
- In the first half, the teams remained evenly matched, with the players exchanging shots until the score was 11:11. At the end of the first half, Slovakia scored five goals in a row and ended the first half with a score of 16:11.
- At the start of the second half, Ukraine managed to reduce the deficit to two goals, but the Slovak handball players seized the initiative and held on to the advantage in the match. As a result, the game ended with a three-goal difference before the return match — 27:24 in favor of Slovakia.
- The most productive volleyball player of Ukraine was the midfielder Ihor Turchenko — 11 goals. The first goalkeeper of the national team Oleksiy Novikov made 11 saves (from 28 shots — 39.29%).
World Cup 2027. Second qualifying round (first match)
Ukraine — Slovakia 24:27 (11:16)
The return match between the national teams of Ukraine and Slovakia will take place on Sunday, March 22, at 2:00 PM Kyiv time.