FIFA, the world’s foremost governing body for soccer, will still allow Russian teams to compete in the World Cup despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, the team will be restricted in displaying the Russian flag or anthem, according to FIFA’s ruling on Sunday. The team will be required to go by their organization’s initials, RFU, rather than as representatives of Russia if they wish to compete.
“FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA, and other sport organizations to determine any additional measures or sanctions,” FIFA said in a statement, “including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly.”
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The team will also not be allowed to play home games and must play on neutral sites.
Russia’s team was scheduled to play against Poland at a March 24 World Cup playoff semifinal, but the Polish team rejected the decision.
“Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable,” tweeted Cezary Kulesza, the Polish Football Association president. “We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the team’s name is.”
The Czech Republic and Sweden joined Poland to protest Russia’s actions, stating that they would not play Russia, even if the games occurred at a neutral site. The teams that decline to compete against Russia or RFU could be liable to pay a number of fees.
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Several other international sports organizations have rallied against Russia. The International Olympic Committee encouraged sporting events to withdraw from Russia and Belarus. The racing organization Formula 1 also announced that it was canceling its Russian Grand Prix in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
