The president of the French Football Federation has joined calls for Russia to be expelled from the 2022 World Cup following their invasion of Ukraine.
France will be the defending champions in Qatar this winter, having lifted the trophy in Russia four years ago.
Russia, meanwhile, have not yet booked their place at the tournament and are due to take part in the European qualification playoffs next month.
However, the three countries in the same playoff path - Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic - have all said they will refuse to play against Russia, leaving Fifa with a major decision to make. Were those countries deemed to have forfeited their playoff matches, Russia would theoretically advance to the tournament finals unopposed.
“The world of sport, and especially football, cannot remain neutral,” FFF president Noel Le Graet told La Parisien. “I certainly would not oppose the expulsion of Russia. “In these dramatic circumstances, how can one envisage playing football against this country?”
Uefa have already stripped the Russian city of St Petersburg of the right to host this season’s Champions League final, moving the game to Paris instead, but football’s global governing body are yet to act.
