The Secretary General of the Russian Football Union, Maxim Mitrofanov, expressed a desire for the Russian national team to receive a wild card for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. He shared his thoughts while contemplating the possibility of such a decision as a gesture of reconciliation for the exclusion of Russian teams from international competitions due to aggression against Ukraine. However, he understands that the likelihood of such a step is low.
«I contemplate from the perspective of theory (regarding receiving the wild card – 'Glavkom'). And from the point of view that it would be wonderful. There are all the arguments for why this could be done. We believe our exclusion is illegal; the national team was not given a chance to qualify through sporting competition. Why not allow such a step as a gesture of reconciliation? It is clear that it would be extremely just, although we understand that most likely this will not happen,» Mitrofanov stated.
All Russian teams, including national teams, are currently excluded from international tournaments due to the country's aggressive actions towards Ukraine. The situation regarding the Russian national team's participation in the 2026 World Cup could be difficult to envision; however, reconciliation and participation in such a sporting event could symbolically represent a search for compromise and peace.