During a meeting with Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, held at the UEFA congress in Brussels, Shevchenko expressed the opinion that the ongoing war makes Russia's return to world football extremely undesirable. He emphasized that Ukraine maintains its position, established back in 2022.
Previously, Infantino had mentioned the possibility of revising existing sanctions and proposed allowing Russian youth teams to participate in competitions, citing that sports isolation has heightened tensions. These statements have provoked mixed reactions among Ukrainian officials, who insist that football cannot be separated from current events.
Russian national teams and clubs have been under FIFA and UEFA sanctions since February 2022. Despite discussions about a possible return, the practical participation of Russian teams in competitions remains unlikely, as many national associations refuse to play matches against teams from Russia.
FIFA characterized the meeting as "constructive," but no decisions regarding future sanctions have been made at this time.
