2026-2027 Nations League: Hungary vs. Ukraine, Probable Lineups

The 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League kicks off. On Friday evening, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary faces Ukraine in the opening match of Group 2 of League B, which also includes Georgia and Northern Ireland.

Marco Rossi’s Hungary must bounce back from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup playoffs, a chance that slipped away after a home loss to the Republic of Ireland. Ukraine, meanwhile, is starting anew under the leadership of Andrea Maldera, who was appointed head coach last May and became the first foreign coach in the history of the Ukrainian national team.

Hungary must contend with the absences of Roland Sallai and Barnabás Varga, forcing Rossi to reshuffle his attacking lineup. Damir Redzić could play on the right, with Dániel Lukács as the central striker and Dominik Szoboszlai shifted to the left wing. Alex Tóth is expected to start in midfield, despite having seen limited playing time at Bournemouth.

Ruslan Malinovskyi was not called up to the Ukrainian squad, a development that could pave the way for Mykola Shaparenko to return to the starting lineup. In defense, PSG center-back Illia Zabarnyi could once again be deployed as a right back, a role he already filled in the last match against Denmark. Roman Yaremchuk will lead the attack, while legend Andriy Yarmolenko—who has 126 caps for the national team—is ready to come off the bench.

Probable lineups:

Hungary (4-2-3-1): B. Toth; Osvath, Orban, Csinger, Kerkez; Schafer, Vitalis; Redzic, A. Toth, Szoboszlai; Lukacs. Coach: Rossi.

Ukraine (4-1-4-1): Trubin; Zabarnyi, Sarapiy, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Nazaryna; Tsygankov, Shaparenko, Ocheretko, Sudakov; Yaremchuk. Coach: Maldera.