FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to engage in dialogue and stop the war in Ukraine.
Infantino, who received an Order of Friendship medal from Putin in 2019, a year after Russia hosted the World Cup, was speaking at the FIFA Congress in Doha where delegates from the Russian Football Union were controversially present. The Russian men's football team had been due to take part in the play-offs for a spot at the 2022 World Cup, but have been banned from international competition pending appeal, amid the country's war in Ukraine.
Russian club sides have also been banned from UEFA competition, with Spartak Moscow's Europa League run ending. The Russian Football Union is said to be considering leaving UEFA, with Asia's AFC confederation a potential alternative.
