FIFA dealing with new World Cup boycott as Russia to compete for first time since invasion
Russia has been handed the opportunity to compete in FIFA’s new Under-15 World Cup as Ukraine has urged other nations to boycott the tournament – It would be the first time a Russian team has competed since 2022
FIFA is facing fresh World Cup boycott fears over a decision on Russia (file)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine have urged countries to boycott FIFA’s new Under-15 World Cup after Russia’s participation was confirmed on Friday (September 18).
The event in Azerbaijan next month is set to be the first FIFA competition Russia has been involved in since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This would be the second boycott urged after FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s now failed World Cup plan sparked backlash.
An invitation to Russia always looked likely after FIFA Council agreed last December that the under-15 event would be open to teams from all of its 211 member associations, but Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s minister of youth and sports said it “legitimised a terrorist state”.
FIFA have released a statement on where the 2030 World Cup final will be held.(Image: PA Wire)
Bidnyi said: “The international sports community must maintain unity and principled consistency, ruling out any concessions to the aggressor state.
“The FIFA football festival in Azerbaijan featuring the Russian under-15 national team with official national symbols – is nothing less than the legitimisation of a terrorist state, even if framed as an unofficial festival format. It is a direct attempt to provide Russians with a platform to display state symbols and spread Russian propaganda.
“While Russian youth are admitted to international football festivals, the aggressor state continues to commit crimes against Ukrainian children.
Russia’s players pose, 20 June 2004 prior their European Nations Championship football match at Faro stadium. Russia and Greece are competing in Group A with Spain and Portugal. From L to R top, Roman Sharonov, Dmitri Kirichenko, Andrei Kariaka, Aleksei Bugayev, Dmitri Bulykin, Viacheslav Malafeev, front, Aleksandr Anyukov, Vladislav Radimov, Vadim Evseev, Rolan Gusev, Dmitri Alenichev. AFP PHOTO / YURI KADOBNOV (Photo by Yuri KADOBNOV / AFP) (Photo by YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images)
“According to Bring Kids Back UA, more than 20,000 cases of deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by Russia have been verified, which underpins the ongoing International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. What ‘equal opportunities’ can we talk about when Russia has deprived our children of a normal childhood?
“We express our gratitude to Iceland and Germany for refusing to participate in this festival. We call on other national associations to join this decision and make a clear stand. FIFA’s 2022 decision to suspend Russia from international competitions must remain inviolable across all levels – without any loopholes for unofficial tournaments.”
Russian national teams and club sides were banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions in the wake of the invasion.
Though FIFA lifted the ban on Russia’s under-17s in 2023, this under-15 tournament would mark the first time they will have actually played.
Russia have been drawn in a group alongside Turkey, as well as Afghanistan, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dropped its recommendation for global sports federations like FIFA to ban Russia.
In February, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Sky News the Russia ban had “not achieved anything” and had just created “more frustration and hatred”.
