Ukraine call for World Cup boycott due to Russia participation

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FT Desk

Ukraine have asked that other nations consider boycotting the Under-15 World Cup after Russia's participation was recently confirmed.

The tournament is set to take place in October and Russia were confirmed as a participant on Friday, which has caused fury among Ukrainians, as the war with Russia has been ongoing since Vladimir Putin sanctioned an invasion back in 2022.

In February of 2022, Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Russian forces entering from home soil, Belarus and Crimea, with attacks occurring across the country. Russia initially attempted to advance on Kyiv as well as other major areas, but Ukrainian forces prevented Russia from capturing the capital.

According to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies, between 540,000 and 620,000 deaths have occurred related to the war since 2022.

Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine's minister of youth and sports, wants nations to follow in the footsteps of Germany and Iceland by refusing to participate in the youth tournament due to Russia's involvement.

He said: "The international sports community must maintain unity and principled consistency, ruling out any concessions to the aggressor state.

"The FIFA football festival in Azerbaijan featuring the Russian under-15 national team with official national symbols -- is nothing less than the legitimisation of a terrorist state, even if framed as an unofficial festival format. It is a direct attempt to provide Russians with a platform to display state symbols and spread Russian propaganda.

"While Russian youth are admitted to international football festivals, the aggressor state continues to commit crimes against Ukrainian children.

"According to Bring Kids Back UA, more than 20,000 cases of deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by Russia have been verified, which underpins the ongoing International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. What 'equal opportunities' can we talk about when Russia has deprived our children of a normal childhood?

"We express our gratitude to Iceland and Germany for refusing to participate in this festival. We call on other national associations to join this decision and make a clear stand. FIFA's 2022 decision to suspend Russia from international competitions must remain inviolable across all levels -- without any loopholes for unofficial tournaments."

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dropped its recommendation for federations like FIFA to ban Russia from international tournaments.

They were actually given permission to participate in the Under-17s World Cup in 2023, they did not play.

Earlier this year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested the Russia ban had "not achieved anything" and had just created "more frustration and hatred" while speaking to Sky News.

The Under-15 World Cup takes place in Azerbaijan and Russia have been grouped alongside Turkiye, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Sudan.