In order to compete internationally again, the Russian Football Union is seeking to organize a global tournament in 2026 with some national teams that did not qualify for the World Cup
In parallel with the political negotiations being held by Vladimir Putin andDonald Trump, who are finalizing details for the upcoming summit in Budapest as a continuation of the August meeting in Alaskain an attempt to end the war in Ukraine, the Russian Football Union (RFS) is moving forward with an ambitious sports plan. The organization aims to secure in Washington a partial easing of the suspension imposed on its national teams and clubs since February 27, 2022.
That sanction was defined by the FIFA Council Bureau and the UEFA Executive Committee, and confirmed by CAS on July 15, 2022. The consequences for Russia were deep: it was unable to play the European play-off against Poland for Qatar 2022, was excluded from the Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and also from Euro 2024.
Rusia busca que la FIFA levante de a poco sus sanciones
Faced with this scenario, the RFS designed a phased project. The first step seeks for FIFA and UEFA to allow the Women's National Team to compete in the Qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, in addition to the return of youth, futsal, and beach soccer national teams to international tournaments.
The ultimate goal is set for the FIFA Congress prior to the 2026 World Cup, when the Russian federation will insist on the total lifting of the bans so that the national teamsand clubs can fully return to the FIFA ecosystem and compete on the road to the 2030 World Cup.
Meanwhile, prominent figures such as Alexander Dyukov, president of the RFU, and Vyacheslav Koloskov, former FIFA vice president and honorary president of the federation, are working on a parallel proposal they seek to present as a gesture of "global reintegration".
The project consists of organizing a short tournament during the World Cup period, played in four stadiums used in the 2018 World Cup, with eight or twelve national teams from the six confederations that did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Rusia quiere organizar un torneo paralelo con selecciones que no clasificaron al Mundial
If diplomacy succeeds, Russia hopes this tournament will serve as a symbolic bridge between its recent isolation and its eventual return to the international football stage. So far, 140 national teams have already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup and could be invited to this tournament, should it take place.
