Criticism mounts as Ukrainian FA remains absent from the event in Qatar

FIFA has come under fire for permitting Russian delegates to attend its annual congress in Qatar, despite the country’s ongoing exclusion from the World Cup due to its invasion of Ukraine. The event, set for Thursday, will see two senior Russian officials in attendance, while the Ukrainian Football Association (FA) will not be represented. Instead, Ukraine will be represented by its ambassador to Qatar, and the Russian flag will be flown at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, further fuelling controversy.

Chris Bryant MP, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Russia, expressed his bewilderment over FIFA’s actions, telling The Times: “I’m constantly mystified by sporting bodies that seem disconnected from global events or fail to take adequate action when they do watch the news. Russia should be isolated, especially in light of Putin’s war crimes, until Russia withdraws from Ukraine.”

In the UK, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has emphasised that any Russian or Belarusian athletes wishing to compete in UK events must prove their “genuine independence and neutrality,” submitting a written declaration to that effect. This stance is backed by a wider international movement, with 37 countries recently calling for further sporting sanctions against Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Russia’s participation in the Winter Olympics was marked by athletes competing under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) banner, rather than as representatives of Russia itself. Meanwhile, the International Paralympic Committee banned both Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Winter Paralympics due to the invasion.

In the UK, sports bodies such as the British Boxing Board of Control have already moved to ban Russian and Belarusian fighters from competing. Huddleston reiterated that any requests from athletes from these countries to compete in UK events will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with strict criteria in place to ensure their neutrality. He said, “We’re requesting governing bodies to ensure athletes who claim to be neutral are genuinely so. They should have no financial ties to Putin, Russia, or Belarus, and should not make supportive statements about those regimes.”

Despite being banned from international football, Russia has declared its interest in bidding for the right to host Euro 2028, alongside the UK and Ireland. UEFA has not suspended the Russian Football Union, allowing it to submit its bid, although it is expected that the bid will be swiftly rejected under UEFA’s regulations.

Huddleston reinforced the UK government’s stance, saying: “Russia is a pariah on the world stage in terms of sport. They should be treated as such, and that remains our position.”