UEFA has banned seven international football matches from taking place

UEFA has banned a total of seven international football matches from ever taking place.

Unlike club football - where teams can play each other regardless of the rivalry - international football is significantly different.

Teams can be banned from playing each other due to conflict or political tension, while individual nations have been banned entirely from competing in UEFA or FIFA-sanctioned events.

When it comes to competitions sanctioned by UEFA, a total of six matches have been prevented from taking place over the past several decades.

Russia have been banned from playing in UEFA-sanctioned competitions since their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the two nations were kept apart even before then.

They have only played each other on two occasions and not since 1999. Russia beat Ukraine 3-2 in qualifying for Euro 2000 in September 1998, before a 1-1 draw between the sides over a year later.

Belarus are also kept apart from Ukraine resulting from their part in the invasion of Ukraine as an ally of Russia.

During that time period, the 1998-1999 Kosovo war took place. It was fought between Yugoslav forces, made up of a contingent of Serbians and Montenegrans, and ethnic Albanian rebels seeking independence.

The war involved mass atrocities and ethnic cleansing against Albanians, and required NATO to intervene against Yugoslavia, ultimately forcing Serbia to withdraw.

Kosovo vs Serbia also isn't a fixture that can be sanctioned by UEFA, while Bosnia also cannot play against Kosovo due to their Serb entity Republika Srpska, which does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

Serbia and Albania can and do play against each other, but decades of political tensions have created a more than hostile atmosphere whenever they do face off.

In 2014, during a game between the two sides, an Albanian nationalist flag appeared above the pitch, with Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic then attempting to bring it down. The result was a mass brawl between the two teams, Serbia fans invading the pitch and four Albanian players suffering minor injuries.

UEFA suspended the game and eventually awarded a 3-0 walkover win to Albania.

Russia also cannot play Kosovo as they are an ally of Serbia and do not recognise Kosovo independence either.

Gibraltar and Spain also do not play against each other. The Spanish government does not recognise Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, as a state or country.