The Russian football team will not be able to participate in the qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup, the source of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said.
"Match TV" writes about this.
The European qualification draw for the 2026 World Cup was held in December. 54 European national teams were divided into 12 selection groups with four and five teams each. At the same time, there was a minimal chance that the Russian team would be included in the qualifying round.
"The composition of the groups does not allow the Russian national team to count on its inclusion in the qualifying tournament. In each of the 12 groups, there are teams that will be against holding matches with the Russians. Despite the fact that there are countries loyal to the Russian national team, and even those who are ready to play with it in the qualifying stage, if the Russian national team is included, there is a high risk of disrupting the integrity of the calendar and disrupting the qualifying stage.
In addition to the sports factor, there is also a political situation, which is unlikely to allow the Russian delegation to obtain the necessary documents to stay in European countries.
Therefore, it can be said that the Russian national team will not be able to play in the qualifying rounds and will have to miss the World Cup," a UEFA source told Match TV.
