Ukrainians on the Soviet Union national football team

Consistent football competitions were taken place in Ukraine in the beginning of the 20th century when the modern country was divided between Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Russia. The most progressive league where Ukrainians participated were Polish and USSR championships (Dinamo Kyiv is known worldwide).

In the 1970s and 1980s, the backbone of the Soviet Union national football team were players out of the Dinamo Kyiv's first team while the team was also coached by the Kievan native and the Dinamo Kyiv franchise person -- Valery Lobanovsky. Oleh Blokhin, another Kievan native and the legendary Ukrainian player and coach, became the USSR national team leader in games participated and goals scored for the team. He reflected the mentorship of his coach, Valery Lobanovsky, and extending the long possessing football traditions of his native country by taking the Ukraine national team to quarter finals of the World Cup in 2006. Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) was created and recognized by FIFA only in 1992. That led several players played for the Ukraine national team in 1993 to reconsider their choice by choosing their opportunities in more successful team of Russian Federation which was considered as the successor of the Soviet national team with all its success. By recognizing only the Russian team as the successor many Russian statisticians are advocating that as the main reason to consider the Ukrainian born footballers that played for the Soviet team to be Russians. The players such as Andrei Kanchelskis and Sergei Yuran are not included in the list for the reason choosing to play for the Russian team over the Ukrainian. Note that there are no Viktor Onopko or Andrei Karyaka as well, although the last one played several games for the junior squad of the national team.

While waiting for recognition from FIFA in 1992, the national team of Ukraine failed to gain to be seeded on time for the World Cup qualification competition from Europe.

List of Soviet Ukrainians [1] edit

Name Years of life Place of birth/death Caps Goals Comments
Oleh Blokhin 1952–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 112 42
Anatoliy Demyanenko 1959–present Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 80 6
Volodymyr Bezsonov 1958–present Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR - 79 4
Oleh Protasov 1964–present Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 68/1 29/0
Oleh Kuznetsov 1963–present Magdeburg, East Germany - 63/3 1/0
Volodymyr Kaplychnyi 1944 – 2004 Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 62 0
Hennadiy Lytovchenko 1963–present Dniprodzerzhinsk, Ukrainian SSR - 58/4 15/0
Viktor Kolotov 1949 – 2000 Yudino, Tatar ASSR, Russian SFSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 54 22
Leonid Buryak 1953–present Odesa, Ukrainian SSR - 53 10
Volodymyr Muntyan 1946–present Kotovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 49 7
Yevhen Rudakov 1942 – 2011 Moscow, Russian SFSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 48 0
Anatoliy Konkov 1949–present Krasnyi Luch, Ukrainian SSR - 47 8
Vasyl Rats 1961–present Fanchykovo, Ukrainian SSR - 47 4
Serhiy Baltacha 1958–present Zhdanov, Ukrainian SSR - 45 2
Volodymyr Onyshchenko 1949–present Stechanka, Chornobyl Raion, Ukrainian SSR - 44 11
Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko 1963–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 41/2 9/0
Oleksandr Zavarov 1961–present Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR - 41 6
Yozhef Sabo 1940–present Ungvár, Kingdom of Hungary - 40 8
Anatoliy Byshovets 1946–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 39 15
Yuriy Istomin 1944 - 1999 Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR - Moscow, Russia 34 0
Ihor Belanov 1960–present Odesa, Ukrainian SSR - 33 8
Volodymyr Troshkin 1947–present Yenakiieve, Ukrainian SSR - 31 1
Volodymyr Veremeyev 1946–present Spassk-Dalny, Russian SFSR - 26 2
Yuriy Voynov 1931 – 2003 Kalininsky, Russian SFSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 26 5
Akhrik Tsveiba 1966–present Gudauta, Georgian SSR - 25/1 2/0 8 games played for Russia
Mykhaylo Fomenko 1948–present Mala Rybytsia, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR - 24 0
Viktor Matviyenko 1948 – 2018 Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 21 0
Viktor Serebryanikov 1940 – 2014 Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 21 3
Viktor Chanov 1959 – 2017 Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 21 0
Andriy Bal 1958 – 2014 Rozdil, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 20 1
Vitaliy Khmelnytskyi 1943 – 2019 Tymoshivka, Orikhiv Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 20 7
Sergey Shavlo 1956–present Nikopol, Ukrainian SSR - 19 1
Pavlo Yakovenko 1964–present Nikopol, Ukrainian SSR - 19 1
Ivan Yaremchuk 1962–present Velykyi Bychkiv, Ukrainian SSR - 18 2
Yuriy Dehteryov 1948 – 2022 Stalino, Ukrainian SSR - Donetsk, Ukraine 17 0
Stefan Reshko 1947–present Kliucharky, Ukrainian SSR - 15 0
Viktor Bannikov 1938 – 2001 Luhyny, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 14 0
Oleksandr Berezhnyi 1957–present Sukhodilsk, Ukrainian SSR - 14 0
Anatoliy Puzach 1941 - 2006 Krasnyi Kut, Russian SFSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 14 2
Viktor Zvyagintsev 1950–present Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR - 13 1
Vadym Yevtushenko 1958–present Pyatikhatky, Ukrainian SSR - 12 1
Vladimir Pilguy 1948–present Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 12 0
Vyacheslav Semyonov 1947–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 11 4
Leonid Ostrovskiy 1936 – 2001 Riga, Latvia - Kyiv, Ukraine 9 0
Viktor Kuznetsov 1949–present Kamenolomnia, Crimea, Russian SFSR - 8 0
Anatoliy Kuksov 1949–present Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR - 8 0
Valeriy Porkujan 1944–present Kirovohrad, Ukrainian SSR - 8 4
Viktor Pasulko 1961–present Ilnytsia, Ukrainian SSR - 8 1
Vadym Tyshchenko 1963–present Horodok, Ukrainian SSR - 8 0
Oleh Luzhnyi 1968–present Lviv, Ukrainian SSR - 8/52 0/0
Yuri Susloparov 1958 – 2012 Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR - Istrinsky District, Moscow, Russia 7 0
Fedir Medvid 1943 – 1997 Novo-Davydkove, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 7 2
Vladimir Liuty 1962–present Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 6 1
Ivan Vyshnevskyi 1957 – 1996 Salavat, Bashkir ASSR, Russian SFSR - Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine 6 0
Eduard Kozinkevich 1949 – 1994 Lviv, Ukrainian SSR - Lviv, Ukraine 6 1
Viktor Kanevski 1936 – 2018 Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - Bristol, Connecticut, US 5 0
Ivan Hetsko 1968–present Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 5/4 0/1
Yuri Romensky 1952–present Minchegavir, Azerbaijan SSR -? 5
Volodymyr Lozynskyi 1955–present Bryansk Oblast, Russian SFSR - ? 4 0
Yuri Nikiforov 1970–present Odesa, Ukrainian SSR - 4/3 0/0 55 games for Russia, 6 goals
Oleh Rodin 1956–present Moscow, Russian SFSR - 4 0
Vadym Sosnikhin 1942 – 2003 Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 4 0
Stepan Yurchyshyn 1957–present Kernitsa, Ukrainian SSR - 4 1
Oleksandr Zhuravliov 1945–present Voroshylovhrad, Ukrainian SSR - 3 0
Viktor Fomin 1929 – 2007 Sloviansk, Ukrainian SSR - Ukraine 3 0
Serhiy Kuznetsov 1950–present Kamenolomnia, Crimea, Ukrainian SSR - 3 0
Vladimir Levchenko 1944 – 2006 Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - Kyiv, Ukraine 3 0
Volodymyr Malygin 1949–present Voroshilovsk, Ukrainian SSR - 3 0
Oleksandr Tkachenko 1947–present Kupiansk, Ukrainian SSR - 3 0
Serhiy Shmatovalenko 1967–present Odesa, Ukrainian SSR - 2/8 0/0
Mykola Fedorenko 1955–present Ordzhonikidze, Ukrainian SSR - 2 1
Volodymyr Dudarenko 1946 – 2017 Rivne, Ukrainian SSR - Rivne, Ukraine 2 0
Yozhef Betsa 1929 – 2011 Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia - Mukachevo, Ukraine 2 0
Ihor Kulchytsky 1941–present Lviv, Ukrainian SSR - 2 0
Valeriy Lobanovskyi 1939 - 2002 Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - Zaporizhya, Ukraine 2 0
Petro Slobodian 1953–present Kolomea Raion, Ukrainian SSR - 2 0
Oleksiy Cherednyk 1960–present Stalinabad, Tajik SSR - 2 0
Leonid Shmuts 1948–present Nikopol, Ukrainian SSR - 2 0
Evgeni Jarovenko 1963–present Karatau, Djambul, Kazakh SSR - 2 0
Andriy Biba 1938–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Lev Brovarsky 1948 – 2009 Drohobych, Ukrainian SSR - Lviv, Ukraine 1 0
Valeri Gorbunov 1953–1996 Horlivka, Ukrainian SSR - Horlivka, Ukraine 1 0
Viktor Grachyov 1956–present Dzerzhinsk, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Viktor Kaplun 1958–present Zaporizhia, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Valeri Zuyev 1952–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Mykhailo Forkash 1948–present Uzhhorod, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Oleh Makarov 1929 – 1995 Rubtsovsk, Altai, Russian SFSR - Kiev, Ukraine 1 0
Serhiy Morozov 1950–present Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR - 1 0
Mykola Pinchuk 1946–present Tikhoretsk, Russian SFSR - 1 0
Ivan Privalov 1902 – 1974 Kharkiv, Russian Empire - Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR 1[2] 0
Aleksandr Shpakovsky 1899 – 1942 Kharkov, Russian Empire - GULAG, Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR 1 1
Anatoliy Shepel 1949–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Anatoliy Shulzhenko 1945 – 1997 Voroshylovhrad, Ukrainian SSR - Luhansk, Ukraine 1 0
Viacheslav Leshchuk 1951–present Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Viktor Lysenko 1947 -–2003 Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR - Mykolaiv, Ukraine 1 0
Mykola Pavlov 1954–present Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR - 1 0
Vyacheslav Chanov 1951–present Moscow, Russian SFSR - 1 0

Unofficial games

Name Years of life Place of birth/death Caps Goals Comments
Kostyantyn Fomin 1903 – 1964 10 0 (Dynamo Kharkiv → Dynamo Kyiv)
Viktor Shylovsky 1911 – 1973 6 2 (Dynamo Kyiv)
Ivan Privalov 1902 – 1974 Kharkiv, Russian Empire - Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR 6[3] 0 (Rabis Kharkiv → Dynamo Kharkiv)
Oleksandr Babkin 5 (-5)(?) (KhPZ Kharkiv)
Konstantin Shchegodskiy 1911 – 1989 4 1 (Dynamo Kyiv)
Nikolai Krotov 1898 – 1978 Kharkiv, Russian Empire - Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR 1 0 (Rabis Kharkiv)
Viktor Fomin 1929 – 2007 Sloviansk, Ukrainian SSR - ? 1 0
Valentyn Prokofyev 1 0 (Dynamo Kyiv)
Mykola Fomin 1909 – 1974 1 0 (Dynamo Kharkiv)
Anton Idzkovsky 1907 – 1995 Kiev, Russian Empire - Kyiv, Ukraine 1 0 (Dynamo Kyiv)
Aleksandr Shpakovsky 1899 – 1942 1 0 (Dynamo Kharkiv)
Volodymyr Fomin 1902 – 1942 (Dynamo Kharkiv)

Ukrainian Olympians on the Soviet team edit

Russian Olympians born in Ukraine edit

Ukrainian footballers on the Soviet junior teams edit

Russian footballers born in Ukraine edit

Senior national team all-time records edit

Here included players that with help of FIFA, the Russian Football Union claims of their own. Such players, Oleg Blokhin, Oleg Protasov, and Anatoliy Demyanenko, still are the indicators of class for all players in Ukraine. Those players committed their playing career to the clubs of the Lower Dnipro river region.

As of 17 October 2023[4]

Most capped Ukraine players edit

# Name Period Caps Goals
1 Anatoliy Tymoschuk 2000 – 2016 144 4
2 Andriy Yarmolenko 2009 – 116 46
3 Oleg Blokhin 1972 – 1988 112 42
4 Andriy Shevchenko 1995 – 2012 111 48
5 Andriy Pyatov 2007 – 2022 102 0
6 Ruslan Rotan 2003 – 2018 100 8
7 Oleh Husyev 2002 – 2016 98 13
8 Oleksandr Shovkovskyi 1994 – 2012 92 0
9 Yevhen Konoplyanka 2010 – 87 21
10 Taras Stepanenko 2010 – 80 4
= Anatoliy Demyanenko 1981 – 1990 80 6
12 Volodymyr Bezsonov 1977 – 1990 79 4
13 Serhii Rebrov 1992 – 2006 75 15
14 Andriy Voronin 2002 – 2012 74 8
15 Andriy Husin 1993 – 2006 71 9
16 Oleh Protasov 1984 – 1994 69 29
17 Andriy Vorobei 2000 – 2008 68 9
18 Andriy Nesmachniy 2000 – 2009 67 0
19 Oleh Kuznetsov 1986 – 1994 66 1
20 Vladyslav Vashchuk 1996 – 2006 63 1
21 Volodymyr Kaplychnyi 1968 – 1974 62 0
Hennadiy Lytovchenko 1984 – 1994 62 15

Top Ukraine goalscorers edit

# Name Period Goals (Caps) Average
1 Andriy Shevchenko 1995 – 2012 48 (111) 0.44
2 Andriy Yarmolenko 2009 – 46 (116) 0.397
3 Oleg Blokhin 1972 – 1988 42 (112) 0.375
4 Oleh Protasov 1984 – 1994 29 (69) 0.42
5 Viktor Kolotov 1970 – 1978 22 (54) 0.407
6 Yevhen Konoplyanka 2010 – 21 (87) 0.241
7 Anatoliy Byshovets 1966 – 1972 15 (39) 0.385
Hennadiy Litovchenko 1984 – 1994 15 (62) 0.242
Serhii Rebrov 1992 – 2006 15 (75) 0.2
10 Roman Yaremchuk 2018 – 13 (46) 0.283
Oleh Husyev 2003 – 2016 13 (98) 0.133
12 Serhiy Nazarenko 2003 – 2012 12 (56) 0.214
14 Volodymyr Onyshchenko 1972 – 1977 11 (44) 0.25
Viktor Tsyhankov 2016 – 11 (49) 0.224
Yevhen Seleznyov 2008 – 2018 11 (57) 0.193
15 Leonid Buryak 1974 – 1983 10 (53) 0.189
16 Oleksandr Zinchenko 2015 - 9 (57) 0.151
Andriy Vorobey 2000 – 2008 9 (68) 0.132
Andriy Husin 1993 – 2006 9 (71) 0.127
19 Tymerlan Huseynov 1993 – 1997 8 (14) 0.571
Artem Kravets 2011 – 2019 8 (23) 0.348
Igor Belanov 1985 – 1990 8 (33) 0.242
Yozhef Sabo 1965 – 1968 8 (40) 0.2
Anatoliy Konkov 1971 – 1978 8 (47) 0.17
Artem Milevskyi 2006 – 2012 8 (50) 0.16
Andriy Voronin 2002 – 2012 8 (74) 0.108
Ruslan Rotan 2003 – 2018 8 (100) 0.08

List of Ukrainian coaches coaching other national teams edit

In bold are coaches that eventually coached the Ukrainian football national team.

References edit

  1. ^ "Kopanyi-Myach.info - Літопис українського футболу".
  2. ^ All games of the Soviet Union (in English)
  3. ^ All games of the Soviet Union (in English)
  4. ^ "Most Ukraine Caps".