Ukraine’s women’s youth futsal team win historic Olympic gold in Dakar
Ukraine’s women’s youth futsal team won its first Youth Olympic Games gold medal, defeating Venezuela 4–3 in overtime in the final in Dakar on November 11. The title was Ukraine’s first futsal medal at the Games and its third gold of the Dakar competition.
Key points
- Ukraine defeated Venezuela 4–3 in overtime in the final on November 11.
- Adelina Vlasenko scored the overtime winner after a pass from Angelina Zaporozhets.
- Venezuela equalized 3–3 with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
- Ukraine topped its group with eight points, ahead of Venezuela with six.
- Ukraine beat Italy 3–1 in the semifinal.
- It was Ukraine’s first futsal medal and first futsal gold at the Youth Olympic Games.
- The gold was Ukraine’s eighth medal and third gold of the Dakar Games.
- Ukraine sent 38 athletes competing in 14 sports.
Why it matters
The title marked Ukraine’s first futsal medal at the Youth Olympic Games and its first Olympic futsal gold. It was especially significant because Ukraine had failed to qualify for the futsal tournament in every edition since the sport’s debut at the Games in 2018. Ukraine also became the first women’s futsal team to win Youth Olympic gold. The medal brought Ukraine’s total at Dakar to eight, including its third gold of the competition.
What happened
Ukraine won its group with eight points, beating Venezuela 5–4 in overtime, Fiji 5–1 and Senegal 7–2. Venezuela finished second with six points. In the semifinal, Ukraine defeated Italy 3–1, while Venezuela beat Iran 3–2 in overtime. In the final on November 11, Ukraine twice led in the second half, but Venezuela equalized 3–3 with 20 seconds left in regulation. At the start of overtime, Zaporozhets assisted Vlasenko’s winning goal. Ukraine held on to win 4–3 and claim its first futsal gold at the Youth Olympic Games.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the historic nature of the result: Ukraine earned its first futsal medal of any kind and its first Youth Olympic futsal gold after previously failing to qualify following the sport’s 2018 debut. Reports also detailed the team’s group-stage and knockout matches, individual goals and Ukraine’s broader medal haul in Dakar.
How international sources describe it
International coverage centers on Ukraine’s narrow 4–3 overtime victory over Venezuela and its historic first Youth Olympic futsal title. It also notes that Ukraine topped its group with eight points, beat Italy in the semifinal and overcame Venezuela’s late equalizer to secure the gold.
Background
The 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games ran in Senegal from October 31 to November 13. Ukraine’s delegation included 38 athletes — 11 boys and 27 girls — competing in 14 sports. The futsal gold was Ukraine’s third at the Games, following victories by judoka Hazar Heydarov and hammer thrower Milaniia Kokhan.