Russia could return to FIFA play at inaugural U-15 event
FIFA said its new U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan will be open to all member associations, potentially clearing a path for Russia.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Russia could take part in a FIFA competition for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, after FIFA said its new U-15 World Cup and Festival will be open to all member associations. Reuters reported that the tournament, scheduled for Azerbaijan in October, may provide a route back into FIFA-run play for a Russian team.
FIFA barred Russia from international competition in February 2022 after Moscow invaded Ukraine, according to Reuters. The governing body eased that position the following year for Russia’s under-17 boys’ and girls’ teams, Reuters reported, but Russian teams have still not appeared in under-17 events run by FIFA or UEFA.
That absence has continued as several European countries, including Ukraine and England, maintain boycotts of Russia over the war, according to Reuters. The report said those boycotts have kept Russian youth teams out of U-17 tournaments despite FIFA’s earlier move to lift the suspension at that age level.
New youth event opens in October
FIFA said Wednesday that the first U-15 World Cup and Festival will be for boys’ teams and will be open to all FIFA member associations. The event is due to begin on October 22 and finish nine days later, according to Reuters.
FIFA said the second edition, planned for 2027, will be limited to girls’ teams. From 2028, the governing body said all member associations will be invited to enter both boys’ and girls’ U-15 teams in separate competitions.
The announcement does not state that Russia has entered a team, and Reuters framed the development as a possible return rather than a confirmed appearance. The key change is FIFA’s description of the tournament as open to all member associations, which includes Russia unless further restrictions are applied.
FIFA’s handling of Russian teams has been one of the most visible sports sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine. Reuters noted that the original ban followed the invasion in 2022, while the partial easing for U-17 teams came the next year.
The new U-15 competition gives FIFA another test of how it applies those rules at youth level. Any Russian participation would come against the continuing opposition of countries that have refused to play Russian teams during the war, according to Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.