Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced on Monday Russia would be ejected from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup playoffs. This decision is a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the past week.
As news of the invasion spread throughout the media, national football teams announced their refusal to play against Russia’s team. Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden were all in agreement to not face Russia in upcoming tournaments. Other countries followed quickly behind them, like England, Poland, The United States, and France.
After pressure from teams and federation representatives, FIFA placed penalties for Russia’s interference with Ukraine, but this led to outrage from teams across the world. Cezary Kulesza, the head of Poland’s football team, felt the decision was “unacceptable” in an interview with The Atlantic. Even with the penalty placed, teams that represent Albania, Denmark, and Switzerland announced their solidarity with other nations.
However, after further consideration, FIFA went ahead and announced the ban. The federation’s ban would be placed on the nation “until further notice.” The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), FIFA’s European counterpart, also announced a similar ban.
A game between France and Russia was planned for March 24 in Moscow, but that is now no longer on the table. Games involving the Russian team or games taking place in Russia have all been canceled as well.
The International Olympic Committee has also called for all sports federations across the globe to prohibit Russian teams and athletes in games. This is due to Russia breaking the Olympic Truce by invading Ukraine. The Russia Football Union (R.F.U.) has called the bans all discriminatory and considers putting forth legal action against FIFA and the UEFA.
With these bans and prohibitions set, the immediate future for Russia in international sports has been left up in the air. Further action in Ukraine by Russian forces could mean more bans and outrage from other international sport federations.
Alex Ross
Alex Rossis a third-year Communication student at Lock Haven with a focus in Journalism. This is his second year as an active member of the Eagle Eye and has been the Arts and Entertainment editor, News editor, and an active writer. He focuses on writing reviews for the A&E section, but has written stories for news, sports, and opinions. Outside of the newsroom, Alex enjoys record shopping, reading classic literature, and analyzing films. Alex hopes to work for a film or music news site as a writer or editor after graduation.