FIFA Has Banned 10 Countries for 'Political Interference'

FIFA have banned 10 different countries for 'political interference'.

In just a few days time, the 42 teams that have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will learn who they will face in the group stages next summer.

Six countries are yet to secure their place in the major international competition, with the final spots set to be decided in a series of play off matches in March.

However, there are several countries that had no chance of making to the 2026 World Cup as both Russia and Congo-Brazzaville remain banned from competing in the competition.

But the two countries are far from the only ones to have ever been banned by FIFA in recent years, with at least 10 countries being banned for 'political interference'.

The Russian national team remains banned. (Image: Daniel Felipe Kutepov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

While overseeing the biggest international fixtures and competitions in world football, FIFA has made it abundantly clear that they are more than willing to ban a country should it be deemed necessary.

In total, five countries from the Asian Football Confederation have been banned in the 21st century for political reasons, more than any other confederation.

Of these countries, the Kuwait national football team has perhaps been impacted the most after it faced multiple suspensions due to governmental interference and a failure to comply with regulations.

The first of these suspensions came in October 2007 when FIFA banned Kuwait from all participation in international football due governmental interference in the national football association.

Although the ban lasted just two weeks, the team was once again banned a year later over a failure to hold the General Assembly elections, with the ban lifted later that year.

In October 2015, the Kuwait national team received a third suspension as FIFA refused to recognise the new sports law in the country, leading to the team missing out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Similarly to Kuwait, the Brunei Football Association was handed a global ban by FIFA in September 2009 due to government interference in the association.

The ban was eventually lifted in May 2011, with the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam becoming the the country's national association.

Just two months after Brunei's suspension, FIFA also banned Iraq from international matches after the Iraqi Olympic Committee disbanded the national football association and security forces seized control of its headquarters in November 2009.

After four months of discussions the Iraqi NOC backed down and FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed that the suspension would be lifted.

Similarly to Kuwait, Indonesia's national team was handed a ban in 2015 because FIFA claimed that there had been third party interference by the government in the country’s football association.

The ban was lifted a year later but it prevented the team from competing in several important qualifiers during the suspension period.

Congo-Brazzaville are also currently suspended. (Image: TAREK ABDEL HAMID/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the most recent Asian country to be banned by FIFA was Pakistan after it did not adopt a revised constitution that would 'ensure truly fair and democratic elections'.

The FIFA statement read: "The suspension will only be lifted subject to the PFF Congress approving the version of the PFF Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC."

Pakistan's ban was lifted ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but the nation failed to qualify after finishing bottom of Group G in the second round of the qualification process in the AFC.

After the AFC, it is the Confederation of African Football that has seen the most suspensions in recent years with Kenya, Congo, Sierra Leone all banned at some point.

Kenya has been banned by FIFA on three occasions, 2004, 2006, and in 2022, all due to alleged government interference.

Likewise, the the Sierra Leone Football Association received a suspension in October 2018 after the the Football association's President and General Secretary were both removed by the government.

Both Kenya and Sierra Leone have since seen their suspensions lifted, while Congo remains banned due to "undue interference by third parties in the affairs of the organisation."

Guatemala is the only nation from CONCACAF to have been suspended in recent years after local authorities intervened and undermined a committee appointed to run the football in the country there following a serious corruption scandal in September 2016.

Meanwhile Russia remains the only European nation to have recently received a ban following the invasion of Ukraine.