The choice to exclude Russia from international football competitions “absolutely needs to be reviewed”. FIFA president Gianni Infantino admitted this, underlining on Sky News the need to lift the ban imposed in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. “This ban achieved nothing, it only created more frustration and hatred,” he explained. “Allowing boys and girls from Russia to play football in other parts of Europe would help.” Infantino also reiterated his opinion against the possible exclusion of Israel, which he said would be “a defeat”.
Infantino proposed to review FIFA rules, hypothesizing the inclusion in its statutes of the principle that a country should never be excluded from football due to the actions of its political leaders. “Someone has to keep the ties open,” he said, also criticizing the mooted boycotts of the 2026 World Cup in the United States for reasons related to immigration or security policies.
The FIFA number one underlined that so far there have never been calls for a boycott from companies or at diplomatic level and asked: “Why football then?”. “I believe that, in our divided and aggressive world, we need opportunities where people can come together and share a passion for football,” he concluded.