The head of the Russian Football Union (RFU), Alexander Dyukov, has stated his optimism that Russia might still participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which initiated the most significant conflict in Europe since World War II, international organizations started prohibiting Russian teams and athletes from participating in events. This encompassed the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which reacted to the “special military operation” declared by Putin on 24 February 2022 by prohibiting the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from taking part in FIFA-organized events and competitions. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) quickly enacted a similar ban, both attributing the sanctions to the Kremlin’s aggressive military actions.
During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, several athletes from Russia and Belarus accepted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) invitation to participate as Neutral Athletes (NAs) and followed specific regulations that prohibited them from joining the delegation parade and limited their ability to showcase their national flags. They were also subjected to scrutiny regarding any possible previous military connections or support for the war.
In November, World Aquatics updated regulations for Athlete Participation in competitions during conflicts and allowed Russian and Belarusian swimmers to take part in the Budapest 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) as NAs from December 10-15. They were, nonetheless, still prohibited from water polo competitions as it “essentially entails physical contact among participants.”
On December 20, the International Skating Union (ISU) announced “a method to permit a select group of Individual Neutral Athletes to compete under stringent conditions in specific Olympic Qualifying Events for the 2025/26 season,” indicating that competitors from Russia and Belarus may take part in events leading up to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
For Dyukov, these actions represent the beginning of a significant shift, and he anticipates that other institutions will keep adjusting and easing their current embargoes. “Transformation is on the horizon, and I anticipate a shift next year with our national teams and football clubs making their comeback to the international stage,” stated Alexander Dyukov, who plans to seek another term as president of the RFU. “In order for us to take part in the World Cup qualifiers, FIFA and UEFA must reverse the choices made at the conclusion of February 2022.” Those choices have not been overturned, which means we are unable to take part in the Final Draw.
The qualifying matches for the group stage start on 21 March 2025 and continue until 18 November 2025, followed by play-off matches from 26 to 31 March 2026, leading up to the final tournament that begins on 11 June 2026. Dyukov believes that a lot can alter before the initial group stage games. “As long as the games haven’t begun, there remains an opportunity,” he stated. “Recently, we’ve observed that individual athletes are competing in international events, which indicates that the bans on Russian football could soon be removed.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, the inaugural tournament to include 48 teams instead of 32, will occur in 16 cities across the co-hosting nations.
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