UEFA Set to Make Decision on Reversing Russia Ban Amid Pressure Over Israel

UEFA are reportedly set to decide on whether to reverse Russia's ban from European football amid pressure over their stance on Israel.

Russia have been banned from competitive international football by FIFA since their illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They are still permitted to play in friendly matches, though are barred from any UEFA or FIFA-sanctioned tournaments.

All of their matches since the ban have been played against teams outside of Europe - the only exception being Belarus, whose regime supports Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

Despite their involvement, Belarus are not explicitly banned from UEFA or FIFA, but cannot host any international matches.

All three of their home World Cup qualifiers were played in Hungary, but Belarus failed to score a single goal in those matches and were thrashed 6-0 by group runners-up Denmark.

Russia took on Belarus in a friendly match earlier this year

FIFA and UEFA also avoided the prospect of Israel qualifying for a World Cup amid the nation's war on Gaza.

That war began in October 2023 after Hamas, who run the Gaza strip, invaded Israel and killed around 1,200 people, as well as taking around 250 hostages.

Israel's actions in Gaza since have been declared a genocide by a United Nations commission, with the city also meeting all three criteria for famine.

According to Gaza's health ministry, which is ran by Hamas but seen as reliable by many experts, over 70,000 people - including at least 17,000 children - have been killed in the city by Israeli forces since October 2023.

A peace deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, has been in place since October of this year, but deaths are still being reported in Gaza.

According to The Guardian, there were 'growing expectations' that UEFA would move to ban Israel prior to the announcement of Trump's peace deal, which put plans on hold.

Russia's ban, which applies across the vast majority of sports, was brought back into focus earlier this week when the Olympic Summit recommended that Russian and Belarusian youth athletes be allowed to compete under their own national flag.

Russia have been banned from the Olympics since 2019, with the World Anti-Doping Agency suspending the nation for four years after numerous athletes committed anti-doping violations in what was described as part of a state-sponsored programme.

That ban covered Tokyo 2020 and would have expired ahead of Paris 2024, only for Russia - and Belarus - to be indefinitely banned before then regardless over their illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, athletes from both countries have had to meet certain criteria to be invited to the Olympics by the IOC, and must compete under a neutral flag if eligible.

That process has continued for the 2026 Winter Olympics, with nine athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports invited to take part earlier this month.

The Olympic Summit reaffirmed that athletes 'have a fundamental right to access sport across the world, and to compete free from political interference or pressure from governmental organisations'.

It recommendation the IOC Executive Board's recommendation that 'youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports'.

However, the Press Association (via RTE) report that UEFA are unlikely to follow suit in lifting restrictions, at any level, on Russia.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (centre) pictured (Image: Getty)

It is suggested that there remains 'scepticism' among European nations over Russia being re-admitted and that, as per sources, many would still refuse to play matches against them given the political situation.

The report adds that senior figures believe the return of Russia would effectively be impossible until a settlement is reached.

The nation's war against Ukraine has now lasted for almost four years, though the two nations - as well as the United States and European countries - are currently in talks over a peace plan, with a 20-point plan recently drafted by Ukraine.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday: "The final mile is the hardest. Everything could fall apart for many reasons."