The Ukrainian Football Federation has sent an angry letter to FIFA and UEFA complaining about a “unacceptable error” during the qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup, held on Friday.
During the drawing a graphic map was displayed showing the selections that could not face each other, such as Ukraine and Belarus, Spain and Gibraltar or Kosovo against Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia.
However, on the map, the shaded region of Ukraine It excluded the territory of Crimea. This Black Sea peninsula (officially the Autonomous Republic of Crimea) is classified as an administrative division of Ukraine after being annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russia occupies this territory and has several military air bases stationed there during the war between both nations, which has already claimed the lives or injured a million people since Vladimir Putin ordered the illegal invasion in February 2022.
However, Ukraine continues to consider the region as part of its country. Therefore, the Ukrainian Football Association wrote to the general secretary of FIFA, Matthias Grafstromand to the general secretary of UEFA, Theodore Theodoridisto express his anger.
“We write to express our deep concern by the infographic map of Europe shown during the television broadcast of the draw for the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on December 13, 2024,” the letter says.
“The map, which indicates countries that cannot cross borders, highlights the territory of Ukraine without the Autonomous Republic of Crimea“, continues the text.
“Taking into account several official decisions and resolutions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee since 2014, which addressed the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the protection of football actors in our country from the aggressive policies of the state Russian terrorist, including with respect to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, we emphasize that the version of the map presented by FIFA during the global broadcast to a multimillion-dollar audience it is unacceptable“, says.
“It seems an inconsistent stance on the part of FIFA and UEFA on this crucial issue, especially in light of the current destructive invasion initiated by Russia against Ukraine in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe“, concludes the letter.
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