Poland Football Association and its players refuse to play world cup match against Russia

According to the Poland Football Association, the national soccer teams will not play Russia in crucial FIFA World Cup playoff qualifiers in March due to the country's annexation of Ukraine. The Sweeden football team also joined hands with them.

Poland Football Association President Cezary Kulesza expressed his viewpoints via Twitter. In his words, "Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia."

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According to CBS Sports, Sweden's soccer association later supported Poland's appeal. They declared in a statement that they will not play against Russia "regardless of where the match is played". Also, they urged FIFA to suspend Russia's participation in the playoffs. The Czech Republic's soccer federation is yet to respond to Poland and Sweden's measures. However, they signed a letter on Thursday urging the games to take place outside of Russia.

On March 24, Russia was supposed to play Poland in a semifinal playoff game in Moscow. The winner would face the winner of the match between Sweden and the Czech Republic. It was due to take place on the same day in Sweden. Later this year, the winner will compete in the World Cup in Qatar.

Lewandowski's viewpoints on the decison of Poland Football Association

Robert Lewandowski, a Polish footballer who plays for Bayern Munich, backed the decision of not playing against Russia. He stated, "It is the right decision! I can't imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can't pretend that nothing is happening."

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However, FIFA has yet to take a firm stance on Russia hosting or even facing Poland. UEFA declared that all Russian and Ukrainian teams must now play their home games in other countries. Also, the final, which was initially slated for St. Petersburg, will be moved.