Russia is still reeling from its suspension from all football-related activities. On Monday, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union Européenne de Football Association (UEFA) made the inevitable official.
On Monday, UEFA and FIFA officially announced that Russia would continue to be suspended from all international competitions. This decision has far-reaching consequences, as it excludes the Russian national team from the qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup. This measure, initially taken in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, marks a continuity in the position of world football’s governing bodies.
Russia has been banned from major international football competitions since the start of the war. It had already been excluded from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and did not take part in Euro 2024, which was held in Germany. This exclusion is part of a series of sanctions imposed by the international community against Vladimir Putin’s country. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, on the pretext of protecting the pro-Russian minorities in eastern Ukraine and ‘denazifying’ the country. This conflict plunged the region into a prolonged war, causing tens of thousands of deaths and devastating the infrastructure of both countries.
For Russia, these successive suspensions are perceived as injustices. Russian sports officials often denounce the politicisation of football. They believe that players and fans should not have to pay the price for government decisions. Nevertheless, calls for Russia’s reinstatement in international sporting competitions have not found an echo with the governing bodies.
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