FIFA has said no international football matches will be played in Russia and the country’s flag and anthem will be prohibited from matches abroad. The governing body FIFA announced this in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
It said Russia’s national teams would henceforth compete only as the Football Union of Russia (RFU), and its games would be held with no fans and on “neutral territory”.
The ban came after Sweden, Poland, and the Czech Republic refused to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup playoffs next month amid the invasion of Ukraine.
The decision by the three countries could disrupt the UEFA World Cup qualifiers, and leave FIFA president Gianni Infantino with the responsibility to find a solution within the next month.
Sweden and Poland made the decision on Saturday, and the Czech Republic followed Sunday.
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