•Russia was scheduled to host Poland in a World Cup qualifying playoff on March 24.
•The World Cup will be held in Qatar from November.
•FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian teams and clubs from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected a request from the Russian Football Union to suspend UEFA’s decision to ban all Russian teams and clubs from participating in its competitions, whilst the CAS proceedings remain ongoing.
This is after a request from the Russian Football Union to freeze FIFA’s suspension while their appeal is heard was presented to the court by the federation.
According to a statement from CAS on Friday, the suspension of all Russian teams and clubs from FIFA’s competitions would therefore remain in place.
This will therefore see Russia from taking part in the World Cup qualifying playoffs, scheduled later this month, as no CAS hearing has yet been fixed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin touches the World Cup trophy as FIFA President Gianni Infantino stands beside him, at the end of the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
Soccer governing bodies FIFA and UEFA had decided together that all Russian teams, whether national or club sides, be suspended from participation in FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” UEFA said in a statement.
The move makes it likely that Russia will be excluded from this year’s World Cup and the women’s Euro 2020 tournament.
“The CAS arbitration proceedings continue. A panel of arbitrators is currently being constituted and the parties are exchanging written submissions,” the CAS said in a statement.
Russia was scheduled to host Poland in a World Cup qualifying playoff on March 24.
FIFA said earlier this month that Poland would be given a bye to the final of their path in the playoffs on March 29, when they will play either Sweden or the Czech Republic.
The Polish FA had said that they would refuse to play against the Russian team. The Czech Republic and Sweden, who are on the same playoff path, had also ruled out facing Russia.
All three associations sent out a joint statement last month saying they would refuse to play regardless of what FIFA decided.
The decision meant that Spartak Moscow could not play their Europa League match against RB Leipzig, allowing the German club to advance to the quarter-finals.
The World Cup will be held in Qatar from November.
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