For the first time in their history, Ukraine walked onto the World Cup stage. Oleg Blokhin led the squad into the unknown.
Ukraine's tournament was a mixed affair, with promising moments offset by results that ultimately cut their journey short.
Ukraine showed enough quality to navigate a challenging group stage, though not without the occasional stumble. They survived a penalty shootout against Switzerland in the Round of 16, and were overpowered by Italy in the Quarter-finals. Italy proved to be a step too far, and Ukraine's campaign came to a decisive end in the the quarters.
2won1drawn2lost
5scored7conceded
Failed to score in 3 of 5 matches kept 3 clean sheets.
Andriy Shevchenko led Ukraine's attack with 2 goals at the 2006 World Cup.
vs Saudi Arabia
group stage
2 goals in 10 minutes 2 scored before half-time.
The tactical mind behind Ukraine's 2006 campaign. Guided Ukraine to their first World Cup leading Ukraine at his first World Cup.
Ukraine's attacking flair was on full display throughout the tournament, but ultimately couldn't overcome sterner opposition. The team relied heavily on individual brilliance from Shevchenko and Serhii Rebrov.
