Amid War, Ukraine Takes a Moment for Sport

Ukraine, which is competing against a backdrop of the war at home against Russia, opens its European Championship soccer campaign with a match against Romania in Munich on Monday. The other teams in Group E are Belgium and Slovakia. Here's what to know, per the AP:

• Ukraine is looking to back up its most successful campaign to date, having reached the quarterfinals at Euro 2020, where it was eliminated by eventual runner-up England.
• Ukraine earned a reputation as comeback kings in the playoffs as a late goal saw it come from behind to beat both Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 in the semifinal, then Iceland by the same score.

• Romania impressed in qualifying, sailing through unbeaten to top a group that also contained Switzerland and Israel.
• "It's a great honor to represent Ukraine. You know what times we are going through now, so I feel incredible responsibility for my actions, but I'm not worried about my game." —Ukraine defender Illya Zabarnyi.
• The teams have met six times before, but never at a major tournament. Romania has the slight edge with three wins to Ukraine's two—but the last of those was more than 20 years ago.
• "It's probably one of the best teams we've had. It's a good mix of young players and experienced players. We combine well on the [field] in terms of that. So, God knows what is going to happen, but this team has huge potential." —Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko.

(More Euro 2024 stories.)