Probably doesn’t help, but my reaction is the same to any question like yours by any poster. At least 2 or 3 others like it scatter through the Ukraine Invasion threads.
At first, I was all, “Pavel, eh?” and would have used the old :dubious: emoji if it were still here. But, then your user name seemed so familiar to me as a long-time poster, so I lowered my eyebrow.
Isn’t what happened with the Paralympics an example? The IPC originally said that the Russian and Belorussian athletes could compete, without any reference to their country, no flags, no colours.
After threats of pullouts by several other countries, the IPC reversed itself and said Russian and Belorussian athletes could not compete.
Russia are taking FIFA and UEFA to CAS.
Of course if FIFA are forced to re-admit Russia then we have a doozy of a situation on our hands. Russia has a World Cup playoff match against Poland with the winners playing either Czech Republic or Sweden. All three have refused to play a Russian team under any circumstances.
If Russia somehow navigates itself into the World Cup, how can it go ahead? There will be blanket boycotts.
I must admit, even as someone who LOVES the World Cup, it will be very fitting if Qatar’s big moment is totally ruined.
If they get re-admitted, it’s always open to FIFA to cancel the World Cup entirely, if the other nations are going to boycott.
The Olympics have been cancelled in the past because of ongoing war.
I notice our friend Pavel started a thread to complain that people were being mean to Roman Abramovich. Here’s some context, from this SI piece on the issue.
in the House of Commons this week, Conservative MP David Davis described Abramovich as “the man who manages President Putin’s private economic affairs, according to the Spanish national intelligence committee. This is a man who was refused a Swiss residency permit, due to suspected involvement in money laundering and contacts with criminal organizations. Abramovich was also deemed a danger to public security and a reputational risk to Switzerland.”
Davis also made specific reference to football. “When he bought Chelsea FC,” Davis said, “Abramovich was the governor of the Chukotka region of Russia. It was alleged by associates of his that the purchase was done at the behest of the Kremlin. As a result of the purchase, he now has enormous soft power and influence in the U.K. I ask the House to come to its own conclusion about whether this man is acting at the behest of the Kremlin or Putin’s Government.”
If a team refuses to play another team that’s a forfeit right?
So Russia could win the World Cup by default?
True, but if enough other teams announce a boycott of the whole playoffs, FIFA could just cancel the World Cup, becasue it’s just not workable. That was the choice that the Paralympic Committee faced: kick out Russia and Belerus, or see large numbers of other teams depart. They chose to kick out Russia and Belerus rather than face total cancellation due to boycotts.
Russia might win the 2022 World Cup over Qatar.
While coincidentally Spain quickly throws together the “Global Football Tournament”, which coincidentally invites all the teams that qualified for Qatar.
Spain is probably not the best “throw it together ASAP host”, but the US is hosting in 2026, and Britain had major problems with the Euro finals.
US hosting a ‘Pre-world cup Invitational’? And they could hold it in summer when the damn thing is supposed to be played? Better hurry.
Couldn’t Germany get it together pretty quickly? Problem might be enough hotel rooms at short notice, but they’ve got the stadiums to handle the crowds and just hosted a World Cup.
I went with Spain because they last hosted it 40 years ago, while Germany was 16, with the women 11 years ago (and France was 24, plus women 3 years ago).
I’d be happy with Lichtenstein, just anyplace but the corrupt hell of Qatar. Still waiting on our air conditioned stadiums like they promised.