Ukrainian Cup 2025/2026: Summary of an Innovative Season
On July 31, the first draw of the Ukrainian Cup for the 2026/2027 season will take place, while we sum up and share the facts and financial details of the previous tournament.
The Ukrainian Cup tournament for the 2025/2026 season was the first after a major tournament reform. The changes primarily included the following:
blind draw for each round;
abolition of extra time;
starting from the 1/8 finals, the host of the match was determined by draw (up to this stage, in case of teams from different leagues, the representative of the lower league automatically became the host);
25% increase in the prize fund compared to the previous season;
Broadcasts of all matches on the UPL TV network and on the open YouTube channel;
The Ukrainian Football Association took full responsibility for the broadcasting costs;
creation of a new trophy with national identity and sporting significance.
Thanks to these steps, the UAF as the organizer of the competition managed to achieve successful results.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
68 teams participated in the Ukrainian Cup for the 2025/2026 season, with 20 of them being representatives of amateur football. The tournament started with a qualifying round and continued with six full stages, starting from the 1/32 finals. In total, 71 matches were played.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS FOR CLUBS FROM THE UAF
The Ukrainian Football Association financed the broadcasts of all Ukrainian Cup matches, completely relieving the clubs of these expenses.
Each club participant in the Ukrainian Cup 2025/2026 received payments from the UAF, the amount of which depended on the stage reached by the team and the status of the host or guest in each specific round.
The prize money for the participants of the final match was distributed as follows: the winning club received 2.5 million UAH for the final, and the finalist club received 1.5 million UAH. The total amount of payments from the UAF was 17.8 million UAH.
THANKS TO THE PARTNER
The Ukrainian Football Association expresses sincere gratitude to the company VBET for their long-standing support of the Ukrainian Cup. Our partnership began in 2021 and has been an important component in the development of one of the country's most prestigious football tournaments. Over five seasons, we have worked together to ensure that the Ukrainian Cup remains spectacular, modern, and even closer to the fans.
