Ukraine’s sports minister has labeled FIFA President Gianni Infantino “infantile” and “irresponsible” after he suggested world football should consider lifting the ban on Russian teams.
Russian clubs and national teams have been suspended since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, Infantino recently argued the ban “has not achieved anything” and suggested that allowing Russian youth to play in Europe “would help” ease tensions.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister, Matvii Bidnyi, hit back, stating that Infantino’s comments “detach football from the reality in which children are being killed.” Bidnyi noted that over 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, including 100 footballers, have died in the conflict.
“War is a crime, not politics,” Bidnyi added. “Russian symbols have no place among people who respect justice and integrity.”
Serhii Palkin, CEO of Shakhtar Donetsk—a club displaced by war since 2014—accused FIFA of “turning a blind eye to evil,” calling the proposal an “attempt to pretend that war and aggression do not exist.”
Despite the pressure, Russia remains barred from the 2026 World Cup, though it continues to play occasional friendlies against non-Western nations.
