At the 49th UEFA Congress in Belgrade, FIFA president Gianni Infantino reignited a controversial discussion: the potential return of Russia to international soccer. While his statement was framed around the hope for peace in Ukraine, the reaction it drew from UEFA and the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) was stark—and firm.
Yet, what UEFA said about this possibility reveals a far more complex dynamic at play behind soccer’s governing bodies, global politics, and the unifying—or dividing—power of sport.
Standing before European soccer leaders, Infantino expressed a desire that Russia may soon be welcomed back into the international fold, but only if such a return symbolized an end to war. His words were hopeful, even idealistic, and reflected soccer’s long-standing ambition to serve as a force for unity.
“As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope that we can soon move to the next page: bring back, as well, Russia in the soccer landscape. Because this would mean that everything is solved,” Infantino said. “That’s what we have to cheer for, that’s what we have to pray for — because that is what soccer is about. It’s not about dividing, it’s about uniting girls, uniting boys, uniting people from wherever they are.”
Russia has been banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions since February 2022, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This includes both national teams and club sides across all age groups. The suspension has now lasted over three years.
UEFA stands firm
Infantino’s remarks quickly drew attention—and drew a line in the sand. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin made it clear: there would be no return for Russia while the war persists. “As I’ve said many times before, when the war stops, they will be readmitted,” he stated firmly at the closing press conference of the congress.
His comments echo the governing body’s long-standing position, one that was first enacted in February 2022, when the UEFA Executive Committee, in conjunction with the FIFA Council, suspended Russian teams from all international competitions.
Behind the scenes, UEFA insiders told Diario AS that there was no official discussion of reinstating Russian teams during the Congress, as such decisions fall outside its procedural competence. Still, Infantino’s comments were enough to prompt strong reactions across Europe—particularly in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Football Association responds
The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) responded with an official letter addressed to UEFA and national soccer associations across Europe, reminding them of the decision taken in 2022 and warning against backtracking.
“We are grateful to the soccer family for the immediate response at the beginning of the full-scale war unleashed against us by Russia… and for keeping the teams of the aggressor country away from international soccer for the past three years,” the UAF wrote.
They also criticized past attempts to partially lift the ban—such as the brief proposal to allow Russian U-17 teams into UEFA competitions in 2023, a move that was later rescinded after widespread backlash.
“The return of Russians to competitions under the auspices of UEFA and FIFA threatens a split in the soccer family and poses a direct threat to the safety and integrity of such international competitions,” the UAF concluded.
Still, reports indicate that UEFA director Zoran Lakovic had expressed hopes in Russian media that by 2025, “Russian sport will finally return to its former place.” These conflicting signals have left European soccer walking a political tightrope.
