The RFU expects the admission of teams from the Russian Federation to international competitions in 2026

The Russian Football Union (RFU) expects the admission of teams from the Russian Federation to international competitions in 2026. This was announced on December 26 by the head of the union, Alexander Dyukov.

"We believe that next year, following the IOC, international football regulators will make decisions that will allow our teams to participate in official international competitions," TASS quoted him as saying.

Dyukov noted that this year, unfortunately, there was no corresponding decision on the part of FIFA and UEFA. The head of the RFU added that at the end of this year there was a significant step towards international tournaments for all Russian sports.

All Russian clubs and national teams have been banned from participating in international competitions under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA since 2022, Sport-Express adds.

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On the same day, RFU Secretary General Maxim Mitrofanov announced that FIFA Presidents Gianni Infantino and UEFA Alexander Ceferin were veiling their lack of authority to allow Russian teams to participate in international competitions. He noted that consideration of this issue at the congresses of organizations in 2026 is possible, but it will depend on their executive committees.

Earlier, on December 12, it became known that the RFU will receive compensation in the amount of € 3.8 million from UEFA for the non-participation of the Russian team in European competitions. It was noted that the amount is influenced by the country's position in the UEFA ranking and the income of the club that earned the most in the proportions of 70% and 30%, respectively.

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