Its a breath of fresh air: at the Dirinon international football tournament, a delegation of young Ukrainian players

Three Ukrainian football teams, made up of 9 to 13-year-old players, were in Dirinon, in the Finistère region, to participate in the International Tournament organized on-site. A breath of fresh air for them, as their country has been experiencing large-scale invasion by Russia since 2022.

Three Ukrainian teams traveled nearly 3,000 km to participate in the Dirinon International Tournament (Finistère) on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, 2026. It has been four years since teams from Ukraine have made the trip to participate in the championship, as competitions at this level are rare in their country, which has been hit by Russia’s large-scale invasion since February 2022.

“When I play soccer, it makes me happy”

Artem and Nazar, both 10 years old, have been playing soccer for six years in the Berdytch club, a city located about 200 km west of Kyiv. “When I play soccer, it makes me happy,” explains the first, in his language. “We learn a lot of things here, it gives me courage to play,” adds the second. Their coach Maxime is satisfied with the performance of his players. “I am happy, even if we lost. In Ukraine, there are no tournaments like this. So, it’s a real breath of fresh air.”

In their country, matches are sometimes interrupted by the sirens of bombings, testifies the coach. “It happens often,” he assures.

After six days of traveling between their city and Dirinon, the children stay with host families from nearby clubs. Sabrina volunteered, with her son Youen, who plays for PL Bergot, in Brest. “I thought it could be a nice experience to host children from another nationality, especially coming from a country at war,” explains the mother. “We use Google translation and it goes relatively well.”

“Davaï, davaï!”

Not easy to talk when you don’t know the other’s language, explains Youen. Even if they speak a little of the same language: the language of soccer. “We are at almost the same level,” assures the boy. Sabrina hopes the children can stay in touch.

Around the field, a few Ukrainian flags wave. The supporters are there, like Galyna, a Ukrainian who has been living in Finistère since 2005. She volunteers every year for translation. “Basically, I am a teacher, so in a way, it’s my job. It allows me to help children and see how they have evolved.” She slips us some words of encouragement in Ukrainian: “Davaï, davaï!” Translation: “Go, go!”

[Context: The article covers the participation of Ukrainian youth football teams in an international tournament in France, offering a respite from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.] [Fact Check: The information provided is accurate and reflects the experiences of the Ukrainian teams participating in the tournament in Dirinon, France.]