Russia's Sports Chief Sees FIFA U-15 Decision as Step to Full International Return

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Russia’s sports chief, Mikhail Degtyarev, announced on Thursday that FIFA’s previously announced decision to clear Russian U-15 teams for World Cups would pave the way for the full-fledged return of national teams and clubs to the international arena.

The FIFA press office announced in a statement earlier in the day that the global football organization’s authorities had cleared Russia’s U-15 boys and girls’ teams to participate in youth world championships.

"We welcome FIFA's decision to allow the Russian national team to participate in the U-15 World Cup and Festival," Degtyarev stated on his Telegram channel.

"This is a significant step towards the return of Russian teams to international sports," he continued. "We are in permanent contact with FIFA and we are aware of the stance of the organization's president, Gianni Infantino, who has repeatedly called for the return of Russian teams to the international stage."

"Just like in other Olympic sports, the process of reinstating the rights of Russian athletes starts with our youth. We hope that FIFA's decision will be the first step towards the full return of Russian national teams and clubs to world and European football competitions," Degtyarev added.

The 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup will be hosted by Azerbaijan, taking place from October 22-31, 2026.

Russia’s football ban

The world’s governing football body, FIFA, announced on February 28, 2022, that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from participating in FIFA tournaments.

In turn, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made a similar decision regarding the Russian national football team’s participation in UEFA tournaments.

Both FIFA and UEFA cited Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as grounds for their respective bans on Russian teams’ participation in competitions.