Should Russia’s Expulsion From Global Soccer Be Revoked? FIFA Debates

The fate of the Russian Football Union may be decided this week.

Gianni Infantino has been open to bringing Russia back into international soccer. | Buda Mendes /FIFA/Getty Images

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the second-consecutive edition of the men’s tournament without Russia on the pitch. Still, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is pushing for the nation’s reintroduction to global soccer despite the ongoing conflicts. 

The soccer teams of the Russian Football Union have been suspended by FIFA since 2022, after the country’s invasion and ongoing military efforts in Ukraine. They were expelled from the Qatar 2022 World Cup later that year and have not played competitive matches since then on the men’s, women’s or youth sides. Russia has played unofficial friendlies, hosting willing teams, including Mali, Nicaragua, Peru, Chile and Iran for matches inside and outside of official FIFA windows. 

Yet, Infantino is the latest global sporting figure to warm to the idea of reintegrating the nation, even as conflict continues in Ukraine. 

“I’m always against bans...We have to [look at reinstating Russia], definitely, because this ban has not achieved anything. It has just created ‍more frustration and hatred,” Infantino said in an interview with Sky News in February. “Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”

Russia’s senior men’s team has not played a competitive match since its final 2022 World Cup qualifier, almost five years ago. In 2023, UEFA briefly planned to allow U17 teams to compete, saying they did not want to punish youth for actions of the government, but did not follow through with plans after pressure from several other European nations.

More recently, FIFA unveiled a global U15 tournament for 2027, which would “be open to all 211 FIFA member associations,” potentially bringing Russia back into the fray. 

The topic of Russia’s status—as well as the status of the other suspended nations, Pakistan and Congo—is expected to be a talking point at Thursday’s FIFA Congress meeting in Vancouver, which will bring together over 1,600 delegates from all member associations, including those from Russia.

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Russia’s Return in Sports

Russia returned to the interantional sporting stage at the Paralympics in March. | Marcus Hartmann/Getty Images

Russia’s potential return to FIFA competitions would not be the nation’s first return to global sports, after the International Paralympic Committee allowed athletes to compete under the Russian flag for the first time since 2018 at the recent Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics. 

World Aquatics, which sanctions swimming and diving events around the world, has also lifted the ban on the flag and anthem at events, allowing athletes previously competing as neutrals to represent Russia and previously-banned Belarus. 

Those shifts have already received significant pushback. Within World Aquatics, several Nordic and Baltic nations, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, have joined boycott efforts against the organization’s plans amid the ongoing conflicts. 

The next major soccer tournament that Russia’s senior men’s team could be in contention for would be the 2028 UEFA European Championship hosted across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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