Viktor Tsyhankov

Viktor Tsyhankov
Tsygankov with Ukraine U21 in 2016
Personal information
Full name Viktor Vitaliiovych Tsyhankov
Date of birth (1997-11-15) 15 November 1997[1]
Place of birth Nahariya, Israel
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Ajax
Number 11
Youth career
2009–2010 Nyva Vinnytsia
2011–2016 Dynamo Kyiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2023 Dynamo Kyiv 156 (77)
2023–2026 Girona 108 (19)
2026– Ajax 0 (0)
International career‡
2012 Ukraine U16 4 (2)
2012–2014 Ukraine U17 20 (8)
2014–2016 Ukraine U19 10 (1)
2016 Ukraine U21 1 (0)
2016– Ukraine 67 (14)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 June 2026

Viktor Vitaliiovych Tsyhankov[A] (Ukrainian: Ві́ктор Віта́лійович Циганко́в; born 15 November 1997) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Ukraine national team.

Early life

Tsyhankov was born in Nahariya, Israel, where his father, Vitalii Tsygankov, played professionally as a goalkeeper for Hapoel Tayibe and Hapoel Acre. After his father retired from active play, the family returned to Ukraine, settling in Vinnytsia.

Club career

Youth career

Tsyhankov began his youth development at the Nyva Vinnytsia youth academy under coach Mykola Zahoruyko.[3] In 2011, at age 13, he transferred to the Dynamo Kyiv academy, progressing through their youth categories and competing in the Ukrainian Youth Football League (DUFL).

Dynamo Kyiv

Tsyhankov made his senior competitive debut in the Ukrainian Premier League for Dynamo Kyiv on 14 August 2016, appearing as a substitute against FC Stal Kamianske.[4] Shortly after, on 24 September 2016, he netted his first senior league goal in a 4–0 victory over FC Olimpik Donetsk. On 28 September 2016, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage, marking the occasion with a crucial goal in a 1–1 draw against Beşiktaş.

Over the subsequent seasons, Tsyhankov established himself as an indispensable creative hub for Dynamo Kyiv. During the 2018–19 campaign, he scored 18 league goals, earned the Ukrainian Premier League Player of the Season award, and collected three Player of the Month accolades (March, December 2018, and April 2019).[5][6][7] Under manager Mircea Lucescu, he played a pivotal role in securing the domestic treble during the 2020–21 season, winning the league title, the Ukrainian Cup, and the Ukrainian Super Cup. Across seven seasons with the Kyiv senior team, he amassed 236 appearances, scored 94 goals, and provided 64 assists in all competitions.[8]

Girona

On 17 January 2023, Tsyhankov moved abroad, signing a contract with La Liga side Girona running until June 2027.[9] The transfer fee was reported as €5 million, with Dynamo Kyiv retaining a 50% sell-on clause.[10] He made his debut on 5 February 2023 against Valencia[11] and quickly adjusted to the Spanish top flight, contributing 3 goals and 6 assists in 19 appearances during his opening half-season.

In the 2023–24 campaign, Tsyhankov became an instrumental figure under coach Míchel, recording 8 goals and 7 assists in 30 league games (starting 26) to help guide Girona to a historic third-place finish and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.[12][8] During his final season in Spain, he made 31 starts in La Liga, scoring six goals and providing five assists, while leading the squad in chances created (55), final-third passes, and touches inside the opposition penalty area.[8] His 55 chances created ranked third among all right wingers in La Liga, behind only Lamine Yamal and Antony.[8] He completed his three-and-a-half-season tenure with the Catalan club accumulating 119 appearances, 20 goals, and 23 assists across all competitions.

Ajax

On 27 August 2026, Tsyhankov joined Eredivisie club Ajax on a three-year contract running until 30 June 2029, reuniting with his former Girona manager Míchel.[13][8] Upon his arrival, he was assigned the squad number 11.[14]

International career

Tsyhankov represented Ukraine across multiple youth international levels, earning caps for the under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-21 national teams.

He received his first senior call-up from manager Andriy Shevchenko in October 2016 for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Turkey and Kosovo, remaining an unused substitute.[15] He made his senior international debut on 12 November 2016, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 1–0 qualifying victory against Finland in Odesa.[16]

Tsyhankov scored his first senior international goal on 25 March 2019 in a 2–1 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying win against Luxembourg. On 13 October 2020, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 home victory over Spain in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A.

In June 2021, Tsyhankov was named in Ukraine's final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020, appearing in four matches as Ukraine reached the quarter-finals.[17] In May 2024, he was selected by manager Serhiy Rebrov for the UEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany.[18]

Style of play

Operating primarily as an inverted winger on the right flank, Tsyhankov is known for his technical proficiency, agility, vision, tactical versatility, and dead-ball delivery.[19][8] As a left-footed wide attacker, he frequently cuts inside into central half-spaces to generate shooting opportunities from distance or execute penetrative through balls for advancing teammates.[20][8]

In possession-oriented systems, he demonstrates positional flexibility by moving narrow to function as an attacking playmaker or secondary forward, exploiting spaces vacated by overlapping full-backs.[21] During his earlier development at Dynamo Kyiv, he was occasionally utilized on the left wing, whereas at Girona he was also deployed centrally as an attacking midfielder and occasionally as a centre-forward.[8] Statistical analysis from his time in La Liga highlighted his creative metrics, leading his squad in penalty-area touches, final-third passes, and chances created.[8] In addition to his playmaking from open play, he is recognized as an accomplished set-piece specialist, frequently handling direct free kicks and corner deliveries.

Personal life

Tsyhankov married Romana Prokopovych in 2022; the couple have one son.

Tsyhankov has publicly expressed support for Ukraine in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[22] as well as solidarity with civilians affected by the Gaza war.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 May 2026[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Dynamo Kyiv 2016–17 Ukrainian Premier League 203316[b]100295
2017–18 Ukrainian Premier League 27132110[c]31[d]04017
2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League 31181013[e]21[d]04620
2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League 2714418[f]2003917
2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League 20123111[g]2003415
2021–22 Ukrainian Premier League 1811006[b]01[d]02511
2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League 1360010[h]3—239
Total 1567713464133023694
Girona 2022–23 La Liga 193———193
2023–24 La Liga 30840——348
2024–25 La Liga 272005[b]0—322
2025–26 La Liga 32621——347
Total 1081961500011920
Ajax 2026–27 Eredivisie 000000—00
Total 0000000000
Career total 26496195691330355114
  1. ↑ Includes Ukrainian Cup, Copa del Rey, KNVB Cup
  2. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances and three goals in UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 3 Appearance in Ukrainian Super Cup
  5. ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League
  6. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League
  7. ↑ Seven appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
  8. ↑ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 7 June 2026[25]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Ukraine 201620
201710
201880
201993
202052
2021111
202271
202374
202472
202560
202641
Total6714
Scores and results list Ukraine's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tsyhankov goal.[25]
List of international goals scored by Viktor Tsyhankov
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 March 2019Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg13 Luxembourg1–12–1UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
2 7 June 2019Arena Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine14 Serbia1–05–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
3 2–0
4 7 October 2020Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France22 France1–41–7Friendly
5 13 October 2020Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kyiv, Ukraine24 Spain1–01–02020–21 UEFA Nations League A
6 23 May 2021Metalist Oblast Sports Complex, Kharkiv, Ukraine26 Bahrain1–11–1Friendly
7 8 June 2022Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland39 Republic of Ireland1–01–02022–23 UEFA Nations League B
8 12 June 2023Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany45 Germany2–13–3Friendly
9 3–1
10 16 June 2023Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia46 North Macedonia3–23–2UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
11 19 June 2023Anton Malatinský Stadium, Trnava, Slovakia47 Malta1–01–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
12 26 March 2024Wrocław Stadium, Wrocław, Poland51 Iceland1–12–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
13 11 June 2024Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova54 Moldova2–04–0Friendly
14 7 June 2026Odense Stadium, Odense, Denmark67 Denmark1–21–2[note 1]Friendly
  1. ↑ Denmark's friendly match against Ukraine was abandoned after 65 minutes with Denmark leading 2–1, due to Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch.[26]

Honours

Dynamo Kyiv

Individual

Notes

  1. ↑ Sometimes romanized as Tsygankov

References

  1. ↑ UEFA.com. "Viktor Tsygankov". UEFA. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Tsygankov Viktor". FC Dynamo Kyiv. Archived from the original on 23 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  3. ↑ ВІКТОР ЦИГАНКОВ (in Ukrainian). FC Dynamo Kyiv Official Site. 14 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Ліга Парі-Матч. 4 тур. Матч № 20 14 August 2016. (in Ukrainian). UPL Official Site. 14 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Віктор Циганков — найкращий гравець місяця Чемпіонату УПЛ!". Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "Віктор Циганков — найкращий гравець Чемпіонату УПЛ у грудні!". upl.ua. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "Віктор Циганков — найкращий гравець квітня в Чемпіонаті УПЛ!". upl.ua. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Tsygankov creëert mogelijkheden voor zijn teamgenoten" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Viktor Tsygankov, nou jugador del Girona". Girona - Web Oficial (in Catalan). 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Suelves, Marc Bernad (17 January 2023). "Oficial: Viktor Tsygankov firma hasta 2027". Diario AS (in European Spanish). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Valencia 0–1 Girona". ESPN. 5 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "A season to remember forever". Girona FC. 25 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Ajax and Girona FC reach agreement on Viktor Tsygankov". english.ajax.nl. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Míchel heeft gewenste versterking: Ajax presenteert Tsygankov". Voetbal International. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "25 players' list of Shevchenko for matches against Turkey and Kosovo". ffu.org.ua. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  16. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2018 - Ukraine-Finland". UEFA. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Delaporte, Augustin (1 June 2021). "Euro 2020 : la liste des 26 de l'Ukraine". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  18. ↑ Aurélien Macedo (20 May 2024). "La liste de l'Ukraine pour l'Euro 2024 avec Zinchenko et Mudryk". Foot Mercato.
  19. ↑ "Viktor Tsygankov: Ready for a big move?". Total Football Analysis. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Viktor Tsygankov – Scout Report". Between The Lines. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Míchel: Girona Tactics". The Coaches' Voice. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Victor Tsygankov - about the war in Ukraine: "I could not imagine before that something like this could happen in our time"". Dynamo Kyiv from Shuryk. 18 January 2023.
  23. ↑ "Viktor Tsygankov to residents of Israel: "The Ukrainian nation is with you"". Dynamo Kyiv from Shuryk. 9 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "V. Tsygankov". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  25. 1 2 "Viktor Tsyhankov". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  26. ↑ "Christian Eriksen: Denmark friendly with Ukraine abandoned after midfielder collapses on pitch". Sky Sports. 7 June 2026. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
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