Milan : FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Russia’s four-year ban from international football competitions should be lifted, arguing that the suspension had “achieved nothing”.
Russian clubs and the national team have been barred from FIFA and UEFA tournaments since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino told Sky Sports. “Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
Infantino said football governing bodies should avoid excluding countries over the actions of their political leaders.
“FIFA should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders,” the 55-year-old said. “Somebody needs to keep the ties open.”
His comments drew criticism from Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi, who described them as “irresponsible” and “infantile”.
“They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed,” Bidnyi told Sky Sports.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has previously said the war in Ukraine must end before Russia can be reinstated, reiterating that position at the UEFA Congress closing press conference last April.
Infantino also defended FIFA’s decision to award a peace prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the draw for the 2026 World Cup.
