England and Wales will not play international football against Russia 'for foreseeable future'
England and Wales will not play any international fixtures against Russia "for the foreseeable future" in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Fifa, the international governing body for football, said no international matches will be held in Russia "until further notice". Notably, Fifa stopped short of excluding Russia from the World Cup, as has been called for by many in the footballing world.
A statement from the Football Association (FA),said England will refuse to play President Vladimir Putin's country in international games, while the Football Association of Wales (FAW) said the same.
The statement, released on Sunday, followed similar announcements by the football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic – all future or potential opponents of Russia in World Cup qualifying. The FA’s statement said: “Out of solidarity with Ukraine and to wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership, the FA can confirm that we won’t play against Russia in any international fixtures for the foreseeable future. “This includes any potential match at any level of senior, age group or para football.”
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) also expressed its condemnation of the Kremlin's military aggression and "the atrocities being committed by Russia".
"The FAW stands in solidarity with Ukraine and feels an extreme amount of sadness and shock to the recent developments in the country," a statement read.
“The FAW has decided that Cymru will not play any international fixtures against Russia for the foreseeable future, at any level of the game.”
The Scottish Football Association and the Irish Football Association have not released official statements on the position of Scotland's and Northern Ireland's national teams.
Listen to the ITV News podcast What You Need To Know, for the latest expert analysis on Ukraine
Fifa said that, although it will not suspend Russia from international competition, “additional sanctions” could include “potential exclusion from competitions”.
It stated that until further notice: “No international competition shall be played on the territory of Russia, with ‘home’ matches being played on neutral territory and without spectators; “The member association representing Russia shall participate in any competition under the name ‘Football Union of Russia (RFU)’ and not ‘Russia’; “No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches where teams from the Football Union of Russia participate.”