FIFA President faces backlash after backing Russia’s return to world football

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the world football  governing body is considering lifting the long standing ban on Russian teams competing in international football competitions, igniting strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and supporters. In an interview with Sky Sports, Infantino said FIFA must re-examine the exclusion of Russian national and club teams from international tournaments that has been in place since February 2022, shortly after Russia’s war with Ukraine. “This ban has not achieved anything, it has only created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino to

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the world football  governing body is considering lifting the long standing ban on Russian teams competing in international football competitions, igniting strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and supporters. In an interview with Sky Sports, Infantino said FIFA must re-examine the exclusion of Russian national and club teams from international tournaments that has been in place since February 2022, shortly after Russia’s war with Ukraine. “This ban has not achieved anything, it has only created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino told the broadcaster. “At least in youth categories, having boys and girls from Russia able to play in European matches would be beneficial” he added.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino

Infantino also argued that FIFA should revise its statutes to prevent bans tied to political actions, suggesting that sport should not be used as a political weapon and claiming that open participation could help build bridges. In a response to this matter, Ukraine’s Sports Minister Mr Matvii Bidnyi called the FIFA president’s comments irresponsible not to say infantile, saying they ignore the reality of an ongoing war in which Ukrainian children and athletes have been killed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha went further, labeling Infantino a moral degenerate in a social media post, and highlighting that hundreds of Ukrainian girls and boys have lost their lives since the conflict began. “Future generations will regard this as a shame reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics,” Sybiha wrote. So far, there has been no formal decision by the FIFA Council to lift the ban. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has reiterated that Russian teams will only return once the war ends and conditions for safe and fair competition are met.