FIFA, the world football body, lifted the suspension of Russian under-17 football teams on Wednesday, allowing them to participate again in the U-17 World Cups.
This decision follows that of September 27 by UEFA, the European football body, to reintegrate the Russian under-17 teams into its competitions.
Russian teams will have to play under the name of the Russian Football Federation and not Russia. Their flag and their national anthem will remain prohibited and they will have to “show neutral colors”, clarified Fifa.
Until UEFA’s decision, Russians were excluded from all international football competitions, both club and national, since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops in February 2022, a decision taken jointly by the UEFA and FIFA.
Russian teams will not participate in the next Under-17 World Cup, which begins in a month in Indonesia. They were not able to participate in the qualifications.
“The FIFA Council reiterated its condemnation of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and confirmed that the other provisions of the decision taken on February 28, 2022 will remain in force until the end of the conflict,” added the FIFA Council. body on its website, mentioning in particular the suspension of senior teams.
After UEFA’s decision, Ukraine announced that it would boycott European football competitions in which Russian teams will participate.