Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the suspension on Russian participation should be lifted at least for youth teams, arguing the ban has only fueled frustration and hatred.
- Russia and its teams have been excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions since February 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, and no formal decision to reverse that move has been taken.
- The International Olympic Committee recently advised allowing Russian participation at junior levels, and FIFA has announced an international U-15 festival open to all 211 member associations.
- UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has maintained that readmission will come only when the war ends, reflecting ongoing caution among European federations.
- Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi condemned Infantino’s remarks, while Infantino also rejected calls to boycott the 2026 World Cup and defended awarding FIFA’s new Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump.