FIFA has banned three countries from World Cup for 'political reasons'

FIFA have banned three countries from competing at the World Cup due to political reasons.

The 2026 edition, which will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will see an increase in qualified teams from 32 to 48.

Teams will be split into 16 three-team groups, with the top two in each group reaching the knockout stages.

Though the change of format has had its critics, it does allow nations to qualify who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to under the old system.

Two nations have been technically banned from the tournament. Russia are currently suspended from playing in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments due to their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has recently commented on Russia's ban (Twitter)

They instead play international friendlies against nations largely outside of Europe, with friendlies during the most recent international window seeing them take on Zambia and Grenada.

Meanwhile, FIFA suspended FECAFOOT, the governing body of the Republic of the Congo, due to 'third-party interference in its affairs'.

Congo are not officially banned from the World Cup, but FECAFOOT cancelled its remaining qualifying matches following the announcement of the suspension.

Previously, two other nations were banned from world football's biggest tournament specifically due to political reasons.

During the period of racial apartheid in the country, South Africa were suspended by FIFA in 1961.

The ban would be lifted several years later in 1963, with then-FIFA President Stanley Rous being in support of the apartheid-era South African FA.

FIFA even put South Africa in an Asian qualifying group to avoid them facing African opposition, but other African nations successfully lobbied for the country to be suspended again.

South Africa would be expelled from FIFA entirely in 1976 after Rous was replaced by Joao Havelange, with other sports also choosing to boycott the country entirely.

They were reinstated in 1992 and won the African Cup of Nations in 1996, before hosting the World Cup in 2010.

And in 1992, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was banned from international football as part of United Nations sanctions against the country.

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the FRY name continued to be used by Serbia and Montenegro, who were still part of Yugoslavia until 2003.

The two nations would then play as Serbia and Montenegro on the international stage, qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Both nations gained full independence in June 2006.