FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly supported ending the ban on Russian teams participating in international football competitions, arguing that the four-year exclusion (imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022) has failed to produce meaningful results.
In recent comments, Infantino stated that the sanctions have mainly generated “frustration and resentment” rather than achieving their intended objectives.
He specifically advocated for allowing Russian youth teams to return to competition as a first step, suggesting that enabling children to play football again could contribute to reconciliation and reduce long-term division.
Infantino went further, proposing a formal change to FIFA’s statutes: a new rule that a country should not be banned from football solely because of the actions of its political leaders.
He applied the same principle to the ongoing debate around Israel amid the Gaza conflict, opposing calls for boycotts or suspensions. Infantino insisted that football must remain a unifying force rather than an instrument of political pressure.
The comments, first reported by journalist Martyn Ziegler, are likely to spark strong reactions given the sensitivity of both the Russia–Ukraine war and the Israel–Palestine situation within global sport.
FIFA has maintained Russia’s suspension from senior international competitions (including World Cup qualifiers and UEFA events) since 2022, while Russian clubs and national teams remain excluded from UEFA and FIFA tournaments. Youth and junior-level participation has also been restricted in most cases.
No formal decision or timeline for any change has been announced by FIFA following Infantino’s remarks.
