Poland put their foot down, say no to playing Russia in FIFA World Cup qualifier after Ukraine invasion

The Polish FA have said its national team will not play their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Russia and have urged FIFA to make a decision on the fixture in Moscow.

Poland are scheduled to travel to Russia on March 24, with either Sweden or Czech Republic then playing in Moscow on March 29, should Russia win.

Cezary Kulesza, the head of the Polish FA, told The Athletic: “No more words, time to act! 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.

“This is the only right decision. We are in talks with the federations of Sweden and the Czech Republic to bring forward a common position to FIFA.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that: “We continue to monitor the situation. We will update on the World Cup qualifiers soon. We can take decisions immediately as soon as it’s needed.”

On Friday, Poland captain Robert Lewandowski wrote on Twitter: “Everything that is beautiful in sport is contrary to what war brings. For all people who value freedom and peace, this is a time of solidarity with the victims of military aggression against Ukraine.

“As the captain of the national team, I will talk to my teammates about the match with Russia in order to work out a common position on this matter and present it to the president of the Polish Football Association as soon as possible.”