Mudryk strikes late as Ukraine defeat Iceland in playoff to reach Euro 2024

26/03/2024 23:38

On Sunday, Russia escalated its aerial bombardment of Kyiv, launching a major wave of missile and drone attacks. On Monday, 10 people were injured when an art academy and exhibition hall were demolished in an airstrike. On Tuesday, Mykhailo Mudryk's late winner earned Ukraine a place at Euro 2024, sealing a 2-1 victory over Iceland in the Uefa Path B play-off.

One of these things, evidently, is not like the others. And yet somehow, nor does Ukraine's qualification for their first major tournament since the beginning of their war with Russia feel like a mere triviality or footnote. On a night of high drama, high emotion and ultimately high celebration, these players – and the thousands of fans who had followed them here – recognised that something more was at stake. They know that these stands will never be their stands, these streets will never be their streets, this turf will never be their turf.