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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the second straight edition of the men's competition held without Russia's participation. Nevertheless, FIFA president Gianni Infantino continues to advocate for the country's return to international soccer despite the ongoing hostilities.
Russian Football Union teams have been under FIFA suspension since 2022, following the country's invasion and continued military operations in Ukraine. Russia was barred from the Qatar 2022 World Cup later that year and has not featured in any competitive fixtures since — across men's, women's, or youth levels. The nation has participated in unofficial friendly matches, welcoming teams such as Mali, Nicaragua, Peru, Chile, and Iran for games both within and outside official FIFA windows.
Infantino has become the latest prominent figure in global sport to express openness toward bringing Russia back into the fold, even as the conflict in Ukraine persists.
"I'm always against bans...We have to [look at reinstating Russia], definitely, because this ban has not achieved anything. It has just created more frustration and hatred," Infantino stated in a Sky News interview in February. "Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help."
Russia's senior men's side has been absent from competitive play since their final 2022 World Cup qualifying fixture, nearly five years ago. In 2023, UEFA briefly considered permitting U17 teams to take part, arguing that young players should not be penalized for their government's decisions, but ultimately abandoned those plans following opposition from multiple European countries.
More recently, FIFA announced a global U15 competition scheduled for 2027, which would "be open to all 211 FIFA member associations," potentially paving the way for Russia's reentry into international competition.
The question of Russia's standing — along with that of fellow suspended nations Pakistan and Congo — is anticipated to be a key discussion point at Thursday's FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which will gather more than 1,600 delegates from all member associations, including representatives from Russia.
Russia's Return in Sports
Russia's potential comeback in FIFA competitions would not be the country's first reappearance on the world sporting stage, as the International Paralympic Committee permitted athletes to compete under the Russian flag for the first time since 2018 at the recent Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics.
World Aquatics, the governing body for swimming and diving events globally, has also lifted restrictions on the Russian flag and national anthem at its competitions, allowing athletes who previously competed as neutrals to once again represent Russia — along with previously-banned Belarus.
These developments have already drawn considerable backlash. Within World Aquatics, a number of Nordic and Baltic nations — including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — have joined boycott movements against the organization's decisions amid the continuing conflict.
The next major soccer tournament for which Russia's senior men's team could realistically be in contention is the 2028 UEFA European Championship, set to be co-hosted across the United Kingdom and Ireland.