The 2025–26 Ukrainian Cup was the 34th annual season of Ukraine's football knockout competition and the 3rd during the full-scale Russian invasion. It is sponsored by the betting company VBET. The Ukrainian Cup is the main domestic cup competition for men's football teams in Ukraine. The competition started on 9 August 2025 and was concluded with the final on 20 May 2026 in Lviv.
Defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk, having beaten Dynamo Kyiv in the 2025 final to win their record-setting 15th title, were eliminated by their last season's final opponents Dynamo Kyiv in the Round of 16.
Dynamo Kyiv, last year's finalists, eventually won their 14th Ukrainian Cup, defeating Ukrainian First League side Chernihiv and qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League.
With the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, teams from cities in occupied or bordering regions with the Russian Federation, such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and others, were forced to play in other locations.Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026: сьогодні розпочинається стадія 1/16 фіналу (усі деталі — на окремому спеціальному сайті). uaf.ua. 17 September 2025 Many games had to be postponed or rescheduled due to continuous air raids from the Russian Federation.
Highlights and changes to the format All competition stages consisted of a single game, with a home-field advantage granted to a team from a lower league in the first two rounds. Draw was blind for all stages except the qualification round.
Changes to the competition format were announced during the last season. The intent was to allow more amateur-level teams to participate in the competition."Німецька модель": у Кубку України з футболу плануються кардинальні зміни формату. sportnews.24tv.ua. 4 April 2025 The major change for this season is that teams from the regional associations (in addition to AAFU members) are participating for the first time since 1996.
This season, four teams represented the Ukrainian Association of Amateur Football as the Ukrainian Amateur Cup's best performers (all semifinalists), instead of two. Later, due to the sudden withdrawal of FC Mynai, the number was increased by one.
On 7 May 2025,Клуби УПЛ та УАФ узгодили новий формат Кубку України: які зміни очікуються. champion.com.ua. 7 May 2025 the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) agreed with the Ukrainian Premier League teams on their participation in this season's competition in a new format.Кубок України 2025/26: формати зрозумілі, етапи визначено. terrikon.com. 8 May 2025
Among other changes, it was agreed that there would be no extra time after a match is tied; instead, the only tiebreaker is a penalty shootout.
Compared with the previous season, the prize awarding fund was increased by 25%. It was planned to pay 70% to the hosting teams and 30% to the visiting teams.Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026. Відбулося жеребкування кваліфікаційного раунду. uaf.ua. 17 July 2025
In addition, the competition administration (UAF) presented a new trophy along with a new slogan for the tournament: "Honor to oneself, glory to Ukraine." The previous trophy with Nike has been replaced with a new one that featured a mace variation, Bulava.
Also, the hosting team was selected differently from one stage to another. At the very start, the qualification/preliminary round, the hosting team was selected by draw. In the Round of 64 and Round of 32, the hosting team was determined as the one that plays in a lower league than the other team. If both teams were from the same league, the hosting team was identified as the one that received an odd number during a draw. For the rounds of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, the hosting team is also determined as the one that received an odd number during a draw. For the final, the hosting team was determined by a draw.
The video assistant referee service for this competition was approved for the 24 stadiums mentioned in the competition's regulations.
Team allocation and schedule The competition includes all professional first teams from the Premier League (16/16 teams of the league), First League (16/16), Second League (16/23) as well as 20 amateur teams including 4 best performers from the previous year's Amateur Cup and 16 from regional associations.
DistributionTeams entering this roundTeams advancing from the previous roundQualification round(16 teams)16 entrants from regional associationsКваліфікація та 68 команд. Відомі перші деталі оновленого Кубка України. sport.ua. 4 July 2025Round of 64(56 teams)12 entrants of the Premier League16 entrants of the First League15 entrants of the Second League5 entrants of the 2024–25 Amateur Cup8 winners from the Qualification roundRound of 32(16 teams)4 entrants from the Premier League28 winners from the Round of 64
Rounds schedule Phase Round Number of fixtures Clubs remaining Draw date Game date Qualification 8 16 → 8 ₴ 100,000 17 July 2025Відомі перші деталі формату Кубка України в сезоні 2025/2026: що змінилося. ukrfootball.ua. 4 July 2025 9-10 August 2025Нафтовик, Легія, ще одні Металург (Запоріжжя) і Полісся та інші: відомі учасники кваліфікаційного раунду КУ. www.ua-football.com. 4 July 2025 Main event Round of 64 28 56 → 28 ₴ 150,000 13 August 2025 23-24 August 2025Структура змагання та учасники 1/32 фіналу: деталі старту нового розіграшу КУ. www.ua-football.com. 4 July 2025 Round of 32 16 32 → 16 ₴ 200,000 28 August 2025Кубок України. Жеребкування 1/16 фіналу. Дивитись онлайн. LIVE трансляція. sport.ua. 26 August 2025Підсумки 1/32 фіналу Кубка України. Які команди зіграють у наступному етапі. sport.ua. 25 August 2025 17-24 September 2025 Round of 16 8 16 → 8 26 September 2025Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026. Відбулося жеребкування 1/8 фіналу. kubok.uaf.ua. 26 September 2025 28-30 October 2025 Quarter-finals 4 8 → 4 28 November 2025Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026. Визначилися дата та час жеребкування 1/4 фіналу. kubok.uaf.ua.Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026. Визначилися дата та час жеребкування 1/4 фіналу. uaf.ua. 20 November 2025 3-17 March 2026 Semi-finals 2 4 → 2 ₴ 800,000 ₴ 600,000 19 March 2026 21-22 April 2026 Final 1 2 → 1 ₴ 2,500,000Petrov, O. (17 July 2025) Розіграш Кубка України 2025/26: розкрито, які призові отримає переможець та розмір трофею. ukrfootball.ua ₴ 1,500,000 20 May 2026В УАФ назвали дату проведення фіналу Кубка України-2025/26. www.ua-football.com. 17 July 2025
Teams
Enter in Qualification Enter in Round of 64 Enter in Round of 32 Regional associations16 teams AAFU4 teams PFL League 216/23 teams PFL League 116/16 teams UPL 12/16 teams UPL 4/16 teams Ahron Velyki Hayi () Fazenda Chernivtsi () Hirnyk Novoyavorivsk () Iron Zaporizhzhia () Carbon Cherkasy () Kolos Polonne () Korosten Ahro-Nyva () Lehiya Kyiv () LSTM 536 Lutsk () Medeya - Nevytskyi zamok () Naftovyk Dolyna () Nika SMK Bohodukhiv () FC Novoukrayinka () Olympia Savyntsi () Palmira Odesa () Polissya Stavky Piskivka () Ahrotekh Tyshkivka Denhoff Denykhivka* Kormil Yavoriv* Mayak Sarny Avanhard Lozova* Atlet Kyiv*
Dinaz Vyshhorod Hirnyk-Sport Kulykiv-Bilka FC Lisne* Lokomotyv Kyiv Metalurh Zaporizhzhia Nyva Vinnytsia Penuel Kryvyi Rih* Real Pharma Odesa Rebel Kyiv* Skala Stryi FC Trostianets FC Uzhhorod SC Vilkhivtsi Ahrobiznes Volochysk Bukovyna Chernivtsi FC Chernihiv Chornomorets Odesa Feniks-Mariupol Inhulets Petrove Livyi Bereh Kyiv Metalist Kharkiv FC Mynai Nyva Ternopil Podillya Khmelnytskyi Probiy Horodenka Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk UCSA Tarasivka Viktoriya Sumy Vorskla Poltava Karpaty Lviv Kolos Kovalivka Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih FC Kudrivka LNZ Cherkasy Metalist 1925 Kharkiv Obolon Kyiv SC Poltava Rukh Lviv Veres Rivne Zorya Luhansk Dynamo Kyiv FC Oleksandriya Polissya Zhytomyr Shakhtar Donetsk
Notes: With the asterisk (*) are noted the Second League teams that were recently admitted to the league from amateurs and the AAFU (amateur) team(s) that qualified in addition to the Amateur Cup finalist(s). Seven reserve teams from the PFL League 2 were not eligible to participate. Right before the first draw, there were some changes to the pool of participants. Palmira Odesa replaced Atletyk Odesa, Iron Zaporizhzhia replaced Metalurh Zaporizhzhia football school. During the Round of 64 draw on August 13, 2025, the Ukrainian Association of Football announced that there will be 5 teams from the 2024–25 Ukrainian Amateur Cup instead of 4. Due to the withdrawal of FC Mynai, an amateur side, Avanhard Lozova, was added instead.Без анонсу. Аматорський клуб несподівано опинився у списку учасників Кубка. sport.ua. 13 August 2025 In the season's regulations, only four AAFU participants were mentioned and 16 representatives of the regional associations (Article 3, paragraph 4). At the same time, Metalurh, which had just been relegated to the Second League, had their relegation canceled, so the number of teams in the Second League decreased by one more. Teams that were making their first appearance (20): Ahron Velyki Hayi, Ahrotekh Tyshkivka, Atlet Kyiv, Carbon Cherkasy, Denhoff Denykhivka, Hirnyk Novoyavorivsk, IRON Zaporizhia, Kolos Polonne, Kormil Yavoriv, Korosten/Ahro-Nyva, Lehiya Kyiv, Lisne, LSTM 536 Lutsk, Mayak Sarny, Medeya - Nevytskyi zamok, NIKA SMK Bohodukhiv, Novoukrayinka, Penuel Kryvyi Rih, Polissya Stavky, Rebel Kyiv.
Bracket The following is the tournament bracket that demonstrates the last five rounds of the Ukrainian Cup, including the final match.Сітка. kubok.uaf.ua Numbers in parentheses next to the match score represent the results of a penalty shoot-out.
Competition schedule Legends: AM – AAFU (amateur) competitions (IV or lower tiers), 2L – Second League (III tier), 1L – First League (II tier), PL – Premier League (I tier)
Qualification round (1/64) In this round, 16 clubs from the regional associations play each other to determine 8 winners who will proceed to the Round of 64.Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026. Відбулося жеребкування кваліфікаційного раунду. uaf.ua. 17 July 2025
The draw was held on 17 July 2025 with the participation of Dmytro Mykhaylenko.Определились пары квалификации Кубка Украины. www.ua-football.com. 17 July 2025 Right before the draw, all participants of the qualification round were placed in four regional groups of four (A, B, C, D).ЖИТТЯКубок України гратимуть по-новому: популяризація у регіонах, оновлені трофей та формат турніру. kalush.informator.ua. 18 July 2025 On 7 August 2025, the locations and referees for the qualification round were confirmed.Кубок України. Новий формат: розклад ігор 1-го раунду, призначення суддів. sport.ua. 7 August 2025
Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D
+ Number of teams per tier remaining in the competitions in this round Ukrainian Premier League (1) Ukrainian First League (2) Ukrainian Second League (3) Ukrainian Association of Amateur Football (4) Regional football associations of Ukraine (5) Total
Notes During the match Korosten/Ahro-Nyva versus LSTM No.536 Artem Fedetskyi who was playing for LSTM was ejected on the 73rd minutes.ВІДЕО. Федецький вийшов на матч Кубка України і отримав червону картку. sport.ua. 9 August 2025 That was not recorded in the UAF report.
Round of 64 (1/32) In this round, 12 clubs from the Premier League, 16 clubs from the First League, 15 clubs from the Second League, and 5 teams of the last season Amateur Cup entered the competition and joined the 8 winners of the Qualification round (all amateurs).
The draw was held on 13 August 2025 with the participation of Oleh Luzhnyi among others.Підсумки жеребкування 1/32 фіналу Кубка України. Вступають у гру клуби УПЛ. sport.ua. 13 August 2025 On 20 August 2025, the UAF approved and confirmed all times and locations of the upcoming matches of the Round of 64.Vbet Кубок України-2025/2026: розклад матчів 1/32 фіналу. uaf.ua. 20 August 2025