FIFA president Gianni Infantino calls for Russia ban to be lifted

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for Russia’s ban from international soccer to be lifted.

Russia has not been allowed to participate in FIFA competition since 2022, when the country invaded Ukraine. Nearly four years later, the war between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing.

UEFA has also had a ban in place barring Russian teams from participating in European club competitions.

But Infantino has said that in his eyes, international bans do more harm than good.

‘We have to,’ he said when asked by Sky News if the ban on Russia should be revisited.

“Definitely. Because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”

Infantino added that ‘having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.’

FIFA and UEFA did lift bans of Russian teams at the under-17 level in 2023, provided they play in neutral colors under the name “Football Union of Russia” and in the absence of their national flag, national anthem and national-team kit.

The FIFA president went on to reiterate his opposition not only to Russia’s current ban, but any ban in general.

Infantino even said he’d like to see that stance made permanent in a FIFA rule that would ‘enshrine in our statutes that we should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders.’

Infantino’s words also appear to dim the prospects of a FIFA ban for Israel, which some have pushed amid the country’s war in Gaza.

According to Infantino, a ban on Israel would be ‘a defeat.’