FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Monday that he hopes to lift the ban on Russia participating in official international football competitions, a move that has been condemned by political and sports leaders in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha branded the head of the world football governing body a "morally bankrupt person".
Following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, FIFA, in coordination with European football governing body UEFA, banned Russian teams from participating in club and international competitions.
It is widely believed that FIFA was forced to make this decision under pressure from outraged European nations, some of which explicitly stated that they would refuse to play against Russia in the vicinity of the conflict, particularly in the World Cup playoffs. Countries including Poland, Sweden and England all stated that they would not compete against Russia.
Ultimately, these decisions were made jointly by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee. In February 2022, FIFA issued a statement saying: “The football community stands fully united here and in solidarity with all those affected by the situation in Ukraine. Both the FIFA President and the UEFA President hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve rapidly and significantly so that football can once again become a promoter of unity and peace among people.”
FIFA also announced a donation of $1 million (approximately £924,000 at the time) for humanitarian aid. Infantino said at the time: “In the face of this conflict, we want to do our part and support the people of Ukraine and those fleeing the war.”
However, in an interview on Monday, when asked if he would consider lifting the ban on Russia, Infantino said "we have to do it".
He added: “Absolutely. Because this ban has achieved nothing, and has instead intensified frustration and hatred among people.”
Infantino added that FIFA "should not actually ban a country from playing football because of the actions of its political leaders", while also claiming that allowing boys and girls from Russia to play football elsewhere in Europe "might help" improve the situation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha wrote on social media:
“679 Ukrainian boys and girls will never play football again – Russia killed them. Even though Russia has failed to end the conflict, some morally bankrupt individuals are suggesting lifting the ban, while Russia continues to kill more people. Future generations will view this as a disgrace, just like the 1936 Olympic Games.”
Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi also criticized Infantino on social media, stating:
“Gianni Infantino's remarks sound irresponsible and even naive. He separates football from the reality of children being killed... As long as Russians continue to kill Ukrainians and politicize sports, their flag and national symbols have no place in the eyes of people who value justice, integrity and fair play.”
Bidnyi cited examples of young Ukrainian athletes and sports enthusiasts who had lost their lives. He referenced the case of Ilya Perevozkin.
“He was a 10th-grade student at a school in Mariupol, and he was killed by a Russian missile while playing football on the school stadium.”
Victoria Kotliarova, a former futsal player, and her mother were killed in the Kyiv shelling on December 29, 2023. She was a champion of the Kyiv Student Futsal Cup and the Dynamo Kyiv Student League."
Don Bacon, a Republican Congressman from Nebraska and member of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, also backed the criticism of Infantino. He wrote on X:
“I agree. As long as Russia continues the conflict, they should remain banned from FIFA competitions. Treat Putin like a pariah.”
The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) said in a statement that it urged FIFA and its president "not to change the football governing body's position on banning Russian players from football competitions while the war against Ukraine continues".
The UAF posted on Facebook: “Military operations in Ukraine continue, the situation has not improved, attacks destroy civilian infrastructure and take the lives of civilians. Russians continue to launch attacks on the front lines. Millions of Ukrainians have lost electricity, drinking water and heating due to constant attacks on settlements across the country.”
“We disagree with the claim that banning the aggressor from competitions is ineffective. We believe that suspending Russian players from competitions is an effective means of putting pressure on the aggressor. Any return of Russian national teams to competitions will jeopardize the safety and fairness of the games.”
In 2023, FIFA and UEFA lifted the ban on Russian U-17 teams participating in men's and women's international matches, on the condition that they compete under the name "Russian Football Union" and do not use the national flag, anthem, national team uniforms and equipment, instead wearing neutral-colored jerseys.
Following opposition from member associations including England, UEFA subsequently withdrew its plan to reinstate Russian U-17 teams for the 2024 European Youth Championships.
UEFA had previously stated that football "should never give up on delivering a message of peace and hope". Under UEFA's original plan, the proposed matches would not use the Russian flag, anthem or jerseys, and would not be held in Russia.
