FIFA opens U-15 World Cup to all, clearing path for Russian youth
FIFA announced that its under‑15 World Cup and Festival, set for October 22‑31 2026 in Azerbaijan, will be open to all FIFA member associations. Although Russian national teams and clubs have been barred from international competitions since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, FIFA never suspended the Russian football federation’s membership. A FIFA spokesperson told AFP the tournament ‘is open to all FIFA member associations’ and said details on participants will come later. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the move on social media, calling it an important step toward bringing Russian teams back into international sport. The announcement fits a broader trend: in May the International Olympic Committee recommended lifting restrictions on Belarusian athletes while keeping limits on Russians, and several federations in gymnastics, judo and swimming have already allowed Russian and Belarusian competitors to compete under their national flags and anthems. UEFA had earlier tried to reintegrate Russian youth teams without flags, anthems or official kits but dropped the plan after boycott threats from Ukraine, England, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Romania.