Russia has been banned by both FIFA and UEFA since 2022, when it launched an invasion of Ukraine. Four years later, the two countries are still in a state of war.
In an interview with Sky News, Infantino expressed his belief that FIFA’s ban on Russia had done more harm than good.
‘This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred,’ he said.
Infantino added that he was opposed not only to Russia’s ban, but any ban for a country that was due to the ‘acts of their political leaders.’
The FIFA president drew an angry response from Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s sports minister, who called the comments ‘irresponsible’ and ‘infantile.’
‘They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed. Let me remind you that since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russians. Among them were more than one hundred footballers.’
He added: ‘War is a crime, not politics. It is Russia that politicizes sport and uses it to justify aggression. I share the position of the Ukrainian Association of Football, which also warns against Russia’s return to international competitions.
‘As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicizing sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity, and fair play.’
FIFA and UEFA did lift bans of Russian teams at the under-17 level in 2023, provided they play in neutral colors under the name “Football Union of Russia” and in the absence of their national flag, national anthem and national-team kit.