乌克兰世界杯梦想史：开局即巅峰与附加赛魔咒（乌克兰世界杯征途：初登高峰，难破附加赛魔咒）

Recapping playoff history

I’m reflecting on the "playoff curse" that includes losses in playoffs, like 1998 to Croatia and 2002 to Germany. The 2002 qualifiers featured Ukraine in Group 5, finishing second behind Poland and facing Germany in the playoff, tying 1-1 in Kiev but losing 1-4 in Dortmund. In 2006, they qualified directly and reached the quarterfinals but lost to Italy. In 2010 qualifiers, they suffered another playoff loss against Greece. In 2014, they finished second behind England and faced France in the playoffs, winning 2-0 at home but losing 0-3 away.Summarizing Ukraine's qualifiers

In the 2018 qualifiers, Ukraine was in a tough group with Iceland, Croatia, Turkey, and others but finished third and missed the playoffs. In the 2022 qualifiers, with teams like France and Finland, Ukraine had many draws but finished second. They won against Scotland in the semifinals but heartbreakingly lost to Wales due to an own goal. The 2026 qualifiers are ongoing, and there’s a history of missed opportunities, like not participating in 1994 due to their late independence. The phrases "开局即巅峰" and "附加赛魔咒" highlight their ups and downs in the World Cup context. The user might be looking for an article on this.Exploring UEFA playoff details

Referencing the 2026 qualifiers is important since UEFA now has 16 slots instead of the previous 13, creating more opportunities. The new format has 12 groups, with winners qualifying directly, while group runners-up and the best Nations League group winners will enter playoffs for the remaining slots. I need to double-check playoff histories to ensure accuracy.

For example, Ukraine's playoff history includes eliminations against Croatia in 1998, Germany in 2002, Greece in 2010, and France in 2014.Detailing Ukraine's playoff history

The first leg against France featured goals from Zozulya and a Yarmolenko penalty, but in the return match, Ukraine lost 0-3 to Sakho and Benzema. In 2018, Ukraine didn't have a playoff after finishing third in their group, losing their final match to Croatia. For the 2022 qualifiers, they beat Scotland 3-1 but lost to Wales in the playoff final. I see repeated themes in their playoff history, like tough away matches and home meltdowns.

Also, I can create a narrative from the "golden generation" with Shevchenko to the current era with Yarmolenko and Zinchenko. I can provide a timeline and stats, noting their single World Cup appearance and best result of reaching the quarter-finals.Creating a structured outline

I want to make sure to write a compact yet thorough article as directed by the guidelines. Since the user only provided a title, I’ll also ask if they want an outline, an article, or a video script. Based on the title, I think a good approach is to provide an outline with key facts, then ask if they'd like me to expand it into a 1200-1500 character article or a video script.

I'll include a framing opening, a timeline of events, reasons for the playoff curse, key players, and prospects for the future. I also plan to incorporate a narrative thread about the highs and lows of Ukraine’s World Cup journey.

I'll keep everything within plain text, and I won’t include any heavy formatting, ensuring my final draft stays concise!