Why isn’t Russia in the World Cup? What we know about the FIFA ban
June 17, 2026, 2:32 p.m. ET
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is missing the biggest country in the world.
And it’s not because they didn’t qualify. Russia is, once again, a noticeable absence from the tournament this year, marking the second consecutive World Cup without the 2018 host nation. The country has been banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions since 2022 following Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
Unlike the Olympics, there has been no avenue for Russian athletes to compete under a neutral label, meaning they continue to be absent from the international stage.
While there has been some support for lifting the ban, it hasn’t come to fruition yet. The original language of the ban stated that it would remain in place “until further notice.”
Here’s what to know about the relationship between Russia and the World Cup.
Is Russia in the World Cup?
Russia is not competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Why is Russia banned from the World Cup?
Russia has been banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions since Feb. 28, 2022 following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
FIFA and UEFA released the following joint statement at the time, announcing the ban:
“Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.
“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters. Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
When will Russia’s ban be lifted?
FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed support for lifting the Russia ban when he spoke with Sky News in Feb. 2026.
“We have to,” he said when asked if the ban on Russia should be revisited. “Definitely. Because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
Infantino added that “having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
The FIFA president went beyond that, suggesting that they adopt a rule change to “enshrine in our statutes that we should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders.”
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