FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russia’s national teams and football clubs from all competitions following the country’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
In a statement on Monday, the world and European football governing bodies said they would be banned “until further notice”.
The sanction makes it likely that Russia’s men’s team will not play their World Cup play-off matches next month and the women’s team have been banned from this summer’s Euro 2022 tournament.
“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,” UEFA said in a joint statement.
“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters.”
UEFA also ended its sponsorship with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The Russian men’s team had been scheduled to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final on 24 March. If they remain suspended until that time, it means they would be kicked out of the World Cup.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” they added.
“Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
The ban follows the refusal of Scotland and the Republic of Ireland including England, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden, to play against Russia.
