On Monday, February 28, both FIFA and UEFA have banned from competition following the invasion of Ukraine. 

FIFA and UEFA, the governing bodies of association football, have decided to ban Russia from international football competitions. The decision means that the Russian national team will be excluded from the World Cup later this year. 

Although Russian athletes have made it clear that they are against the war in Ukraine, some are left to pay the consequences for Putin’s decision. This has resulted in the consideration of granting Russian players, who want to move to another country, a reopening of the transfer window. This will allow players who compete or coach in Russia to leave their clubs only for the rest of the season. 

This isn’t the first time FIFA and UEFA have expelled a country from competitions as they banned Yugoslavia in 1992 when war broke out in the Balkan area. Russian club, Spartak Moscow, was scheduled to play against German Football Club, RB Leipzig, in the Europa League, but they have since been banned from international competitions.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA and UEFA said in this statement.

The Russian body has appealed this decision at the Court Of Arbitration for Sport. The Russian Football Union stated that they would be filing a lawsuit against FIFA and UEFA, demanding that they be allowed to compete and have the ability to qualify for the upcoming World Cup later this year.