SOCHI, RUSSIA - JULY 07: Russia players watch the peanlty shoot out during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Quarter Final match between Russia and Croatia at Fisht Stadium on July 7, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

CAS Makes Decision On Russia’s World Cup Ban

by · The Spun

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, UEFA and FIFA have sanctioned the Russia national football team to keep them from competing in next week’s World Cup qualifying game against Poland. So Russia have tried to get an arbiter to help lift the ban.

The Russian Football Union (RUF) made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for an urgent interim ruling to freeze the ban pending a full appeal. But on Friday, their request was dismissed, per ESPN.

The ruling comes after CAS similarly dismissed the RUF’s appeal to freeze their ban from UEFA competitions. As a result, Russia will not be able to compete against Poland next week. Their chances of finding a way to get into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar are now effectively non-existent.

It will be the first time since 2010 that Russia has failed to qualify for the World Cup. They automatically qualified in 2018 as the World Cup hosts and reached the quarter-finals – their highest finish in the post-Soviet era.

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has led to an international backlash and massive sanctions in nearly all walks of life. Sports are no exception and Russian athletes have felt the sting in soccer, Formula One and athletics.

We can only hope that peace is restored to the region soon.

If it isn’t, there won’t be many Russian sports teams or athletes being featured in major events anytime soon.