FIFA has kicked Russia out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as it issues a joint statement with the UEFA saying all Russian clubs will be banned from events until further notice following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters,” the statement reads.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
The joint decision comes in the wake of multiple international sports leagues, including the International Olympic Committee, calling for the ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in their events until further notice.
UEFA has also canceled its sponsorship deal with Russian energy company Gazprom.
“UEFA has today decided to end its partnership with Gazprom across all competitions,” the governing body said in a statement, via ESPN.
“The decision is effective immediately and covers all existing agreements including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA national team competitions, and UEFA EURO 2024.”
