Russia-Ukraine war: Will Russia be ousted from FIFA World Cup following Poland's stand?

Non-governmental organisations are taking their own stance on the matter to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Amongst those who have taken significant action since the war began are the football associations of Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. In a joint statement on Friday, the three FAs urged FIFA to move the 2022 World Cup qualifier games out of Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched a military operation against Ukraine, reigniting a decades-long conflict in the region. Putin launched the attack on Ukraine through land, air, and sea, targetting important military installations across all major cities in the country. Since the war began, several countries, including the United States, Japan, and Australia, have imposed sanctions against Russian leaders and businesses.

Will Russia be ousted from the 2022 FIFA World Cup? 

Reports suggest that calls are being made to ban Russia from participating in this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. According to The Athletic, the Polish FA is said to be in talks with its counterparts in Sweden and Czech Republic to discuss whether they want to play against Russia at all, regardless of the venue. If FIFA decides to take a stance on the issue, it will be interesting to see if Russia could be banned from taking part in the upcoming World Cup, given other nations are reluctant to play them.

Russia's sporting community is already facing the heat from the international community as a result of Putin's decision to attack Ukraine. Due to the ongoing turmoil in the region, UEFA has decided to shift the 2022 Champions League final out of Russia. The Champions League final, which was originally scheduled for May in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has been moved to Paris, France.

Meanwhile, the Russian Grand Prix, which was set to take place in September, has been cancelled as a result of the conflict. Formula One made a formal statement on the matter. Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had called for the cancellation of all international sporting events in Russia.

Apart from that, a number of Russian athletes have also expressed their displeasure with Putin's choice to wage war on Ukraine. The World No. 7 ranked tennis player Andrey Rublev sent a powerful message to Putin after qualifying for the final of Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships on Friday.

Rublev took a pen and wrote 'No war please' on camera, which had came to take his autograph after the win. Russian NHL star Alex Ovechkin also made a similar appeal on Friday as he called on both Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue peacefully. 

Image: RussiaFootballTeam/FB