The Greek National Team enters the fight for the World Cup qualifiers, hosting Belarus at a packed “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium in the tournament’s opener (5/9, 21:45). With high ambitions and expectations set, the “blue-and-white” begins its journey with the ultimate destination being the World Cup in America.

With the passionate support of the fans, the team wants to take advantage of its home ground to kick off its campaign on the right foot. Victory against Belarus is the first step, while the continuation promises to be just as crucial. Next Monday (8/9), Greece will host Denmark in the same stadium, aiming for 2/2, in order to send an early, strong message to its rivals about who is the “boss” of the group.

Greece’s starting lineup against Belarus in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will be as follows: Tzolakis in goal; defense from right to left with Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, and Tsimikas. Midfield with Kourbelis and Zafeiris. The attacking trio with Karetsas, Tzolis, and Pavlidis, with Bakasetas playing behind Pavlidis.

Ivan Jovanović has built a highly competitive squad, successfully combining experience with the enthusiasm and talent of young Greek footballers. At the same time, the Serbian coach has created an excellent atmosphere within the team, as every player considers himself a reliable option at any moment.

This has been proven with Greece’s promotion to Nations League League A, and the historic 2-1 win at Wembley against England. Above all, it has shown in the team’s playing style, now characterized by dominant football, ball possession, excellent coverage, strong transitions, and effectiveness on the pitch.

All that, however, belongs to the past. From today, against Belarus at “Georgios Karaiskakis,” Jovanović’s men begin the battle for the top spot in Group 3, which also includes Denmark and Scotland.

Since only the first place in the group guarantees direct qualification to the finals, the goal of the Greek internationals is to collect the maximum number of points. And because “well begun is half done,” the match against Belarus is particularly important, as there is no room for dropping points. This is something the Serbian coach emphasizes daily to his players, knowing well the “traps” that a theoretically easy match can hide. The experienced coach maintains the focus and concentration of the squad at the highest level, so that they are fully ready—both tomorrow and next Monday (8/9, 21:45 at Georgios Karaiskakis)—for the derby against Denmark, which may prove decisive for qualification.

On the other side, the Spanish coach of the Belarus national team, Carlos Alós, usually prefers to play with either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 formation, though depending on the circumstances of the match, he may opt for a four-man defense. The “star” of the team is Gromyko, who plays as a No. 10 and also features for Olympiacos’ Champions League rival, Kairat Almaty, alongside the 37-year-old Martynovich, who remains valuable thanks to his experience. Among the rest, standout players include the tall left central defender Zabelin and Ebong, who plays as a defensive midfielder (“No. 6”).

The referee of the match will be Australian Jarred Gillett, who since 2023 has represented the English FA in FIFA competitions.

Lineups

GREECE: Tzolakis, Tsimikas, Koulierakis, Mavropanos, Vagiannidis, Kourbelis, Zafeiris, Bakasetas, Tzolis, Karetsas, Pavlidis.

BELARUS: Pavliuchenko, Zabelin, Martynovich, Petserin, Pigas, Yablonski, Korzun, Kovalev, Gromyko, Ebong, Meinichenko.

On Greece’s bench: Vlachodimos, Mandas, Rota, Kyriakopoulos, Chatzidiakos, Masouras, Pelkas, Mouzakitis, Siopis, Mantalos, Konstantelias, Ioannidis.

Excluded from the squad: Retsos and Douvikas.