ZURICH: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he wants Russia’s four-year ban from international tournaments lifted because it had “achieved nothing”.

Russian clubs and the national team have been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino told Sky Sports.

“Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”

Infantino said FIFA should “actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders.”

“Somebody needs to keep the ties open,” the 55-year-old added.

Ukraine sports minister Matvii Bidnyi said Infantino’s comments were “irresponsible” and “infantile”.

“They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed,” Bidnyi told Sky Sports.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has maintained the war in Ukraine needs to end for Russia to be reinstated, echoing the statements at the UEFA Congress closing press conference last year in April. Infantino also defended FIFA’s decision to award a peace prize to United States President Donald Trump at the 2026 World Cup draw.

“So, whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking about we should do something to reward people who do something,” Infantino said.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2026