FIFA Could Ban Second Country After Russia World Cup Ruling
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature an expanded format of 48 teams, up from the traditional 32
- It also marks the first time since 2002 that the tournament will be jointly hosted, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico sharing duties
- After Russia, a second country could receive a suspension from football's governing body in the coming weeks
FIFA could soon hand out another major punishment in international football, with a second nation facing a ban following the governing body’s stance on Russia.
Russia have been suspended from all FIFA and UEFA competitions since their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Source: Getty Images
While they remain barred from official tournaments, they are still permitted to play international friendlies.
Since their suspension, they have organised matches with teams around the world, though none from Europe, apart from Belarus.
This year, FIFA has already imposed temporary bans on several nations over governance and administrative issues.
Both Congo and Pakistan were briefly suspended before being reinstated after their problems were resolved.
However, Russia remains the only country under a full and ongoing ban, preventing participation in qualifiers or major tournaments such as the World Cup.
Now, reports suggest that a second nation could be added to the list as early as next month.
While the country in question is no longer in contention for the 2026 World Cup, the looming threat of exclusion underlines FIFA’s firm approach to disciplinary and governance breaches.
Why FIFA could ban India
Per France24, FIFA has given the All India Football Federation (AIFF) until October 30 to adopt a new constitution.
In a joint letter to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) voiced their “profound concern” over the federation’s ongoing failure to finalise and implement the document.
"Failure to meet this schedule will leave us with no alternative but to refer the matter to the relevant FIFA decision-making body for consideration and decision," said the letter, seen by AFP. via Sportbible
"AIFF must regard this communication as binding and requiring immediate compliance in order to safeguard its rights as a member of FIFA and the AFC," it added.
The AIFF constitution has been pending a decision in India’s Supreme Court since 2017.
If suspended, both the national teams and clubs would be barred from all international competitions.
FIFA had already suspended India in August 2022 over third-party interference after the Supreme Court appointed a committee of administrators to run the federation.
Source: Getty Images
That ban was lifted days later, allowing Kalyan Chaubey to be elected as AIFF president.
The Indian Super League (ISL) faces the risk of collapse amid a standoff between the AIFF and its commercial partner.
The start of the season has already been delayed, leaving thousands of players and staff uncertain about their jobs.
Why FIFA banned European country
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that one nation has now been officially ruled out of the 2026 World Cup, despite several suspensions already taking place during the qualifiers.
Throughout the campaign, a number of countries either faced temporary bans or withdrew from the process altogether.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
