UEFA President Ceferin Insists on Russia ban
Last update: February 12, 2026
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President Ceferin maintains ban despite FIFA chief backing easing of restrictions.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Thursday that European football’s governing body is not currently considering allowing Russia back into international competitions, following comments from FIFA president Gianni Infantino supporting a possible easing of the ban.
Russia was expelled from all club and international competitions by UEFA in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.
The country was removed from qualifying for that year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar and has not participated in qualifiers for Euro 2024 or the upcoming World Cup in North America.
The International Olympic Committee has recommended that sports federations allow Russian teams to compete at youth level, and Infantino said earlier this month that the ban “has not achieved anything.”
Infantino’s remarks sparked anger in Ukraine, which insisted the ban should remain “as long as Russians continue to kill Ukrainians.”
CBI News reports that Ceferin, who greeted Infantino and posed for photos with him on stage, appeared to leave the door open for a potential change of approach from UEFA, though no immediate plans to lift the ban were announced.
