London: In a joint statement, FIFA and UEFA announced that Russia has been expelled from the World Cup after being suspended from all international competitions “until further notice”.
The governing body of European football also ended its association with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The Russian men’s team had been scheduled to play in qualifying play-offs in March for the World Cup in Qatar later in 2022. The women’s side had qualified for the European Championship in England, scheduled in July.
The declaration also affects Russian clubs involved in European tourneys.
“FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” the joint statement from the governing bodies of world and European football read.
The Russian men’s team were slated to take on Poland in a World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final on March 24 and might have faced Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a slot in the finals to be held in Qatar later in 2022.
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