FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his hope on Thursday that Russia would soon be allowed to return to the international football scene, as this would be a sign that the war in Ukraine was over.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russian clubs and the national team have been barred from FIFA and UEFA competitions.
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“As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope that we can soon move to the next page, bring back, as well, Russia in the football landscape because this would mean that everything is solved,” Infantino said at the 49th UEFA Congress in Belgrade.
“That’s what we have to cheer for, that’s what we have to pray for — because that is what football is about. It’s not about dividing, it’s about uniting girls, uniting boys, uniting people from wherever they are.”
UEFA Aleksander Ceferin echoed Infantino’s remarks.
“When the war stops, (Russia) will be readmitted,” Ceferin told the UEFA Congress closing press conference.
In order to commemorate the centenary of the sport’s premier competition, Ceferin stated that he was adamantly against a plan FIFA was considering to expand the number of teams in the 2030 World Cup to 64.
Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the site of the first World Cup in 1930, will host three matches in the tournament, which is being hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.
Ignacio Alonso, the Uruguayan FA’s president, suggested the one-time enlargement at last month’s FIFA Council, according to the New York Times.
“This proposal was maybe even more surprising for me than for you,” Ceferin said.
“I think it’s a bad idea. I think it’s not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers as well.
“So I’m not supporting that idea. I don’t know where it came from.
” It’s strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal at the end of FIFA Council.”
The World Cup has already been increased from 32 to 48 teams for next year’s edition in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Ceferin did not object to this year’s Club World Cup, which has garnered criticism for creating a busy summer for players.
“Now, the Club World Cup is happening, and that’s it,” Ceferin said. “Clubs from Europe wanted it, and I don’t see his kind of competition to our competition.
“It will be more matches for some of the players.”
The Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 in the U.S.