Russia may return to a FIFA competition in 2026

FIFA has paved the way for Russia to return to one of its international competitions, announcing "all Member Associations will be invited to participate" in upcoming U-15 tournaments for boys and girls.

Both FIFA and UEFA opted to ban Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Russia appealing FIFA's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which declined to overturn the ban.

That suspension remains in place, with Russia unable to participate in any competition from the U-17 level up to the senior stage.

However, FIFA announced June 24 that all 211 of its members will be invited to participate in its new U-15 World Cup & Festival, set to take place from October 22-31, 2026 in Azerbaijan. Member associations will express their interest in joining the competition, which will be a boys tournament in 2026, a girls tournament in 2027 and two separate competitions for each in 2028 and beyond.

Unlike other tournaments that involve a regional qualification process, FIFA will invite members to express interest and send teams to the event for the youngest age category.

That will include Russia, who had pushed to be included in youth tournaments, arguing young athletes were being punished for political decrees well out of their control.

The decision is in line with the position FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed throughout 2026.

"This ban has achieved nothing; it has only created more frustration and hatred. Allowing boys and girls from Russia to play football in other parts of Europe could help," Infantino told Sky Sports earlier this year. "It's something we have to do, definitely, at least in the youth categories."

UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe, hatched plans in 2023 for Russia to return to a U-17 tournament but backtracked after more than a dozen members said they would refuse to play Russia until the end of the war in Ukraine.

Will Russia return to the international sports stage?

Mikhail Degtyarev, Russia's Minister of Sport, welcomed the move of inviting Russia to the U-15 event as an opening for the nation's teams to once again be able to participate fully on the international stage.

"This is a significant step towards the return of Russian teams to international sports," Degtyarev wrote on Telegram. "We are in permanent contact with FIFA and we are aware of the stance of the organization's president, Gianni Infantino, who has repeatedly called for the return of Russian teams to the international stage.

"Just like in other Olympic sports, the process of reinstating the rights of Russian athletes starts with our youth. We hope that FIFA's decision will be the first step towards the full return of Russian national teams and clubs to world and European football competitions."

The Russian Olympic Committee was banned by the International Olympic Committee in 2023, though the IOC announced amendments to the Olympic Charter this week that also could pave the way for Russian athletes to fully return to the Olympic Games. The modification emphasizes the body should remain, "free from governmental, cultural, societal or economic pressure."

During the suspension, Russia's senior national teams have played international friendlies against teams willing to play them. After a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in June , a choir of children sang "Goodbye, America," a Soviet-era song, with the stadium's screens in Kaliningrad showed highlights of Russian teams taking part past World Cup tournaments.

Click here to read article