European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef condemned FIFA President Gianni Infantino's call to reinstate Russians in international football. He emphasized that sport does not exist in a vacuum and reflects societal values.
FIFA does not plan to reinstate Russia in competitions, despite President Gianni Infantino's statements about the need to lift the ban. Such a move would face strong opposition from a number of European countries.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is considering the possibility of Russia's return to international football, claiming that the ban has not yielded results. The Ukrainian Association of Football and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine call for no change in position due to the ongoing war.
On January 30, the draw for the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 season playoffs took place in Switzerland. The matches will be held on February 19 and 26, and the winners will advance to the round of 16.
Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's goal for Benfica against Real in the final seconds has been recognized as the best in the 8th round of the Champions League. This goal led Benfica to the tournament's playoffs.
The goal by Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin of Lisbon's Benfica has been nominated for the best goal in the 8th round of the UEFA Champions League.
The Ukrainian Association of Football has appealed to UEFA regarding an incident involving naturalized Russian Denis Nevyedrov. He shouted insults at Ukraine after a futsal match at the Euro 2026 Championship.
Former coach of Kyiv "Dynamo" Oleksiy Mykhailychenko beat a plumber who was restoring heat supply in the building. The police opened criminal proceedings on the fact of intentional minor bodily harm.
The Ukrainian national football team dropped from 28th to 30th place in the FIFA ranking, as it did not play any official matches. However, in the UEFA ranking, the national team remains in 14th place.
The Finale 1 model retains the colors and graphics of the original Starball design. It will be used in the 7th and 8th rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
Football club Chelsea announced the dismissal of head coach Enzo Maresca. The club believes that a change of coach will give the team the best chances of success in future competitions.
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
FIFA has approved a record budget of $727 million for the 2026 World Cup, a 50% increase from the previous tournament. The champion will receive $50 million, while group stage participants will each get $9 million.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to UEFA and European governments with a demand for a complete ban on the participation of Belarusian national teams and clubs in international tournaments. It is also proposed to restrict the entry of Belarusian athletes until the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty.
FIFA has announced the launch of a new competition for players under 15, open to all 211 member associations. This decision effectively lays the groundwork for the return of Russian teams to world football after their suspension in 2022 due to aggression against Ukraine.
Russia's return to international competitions under the auspices of UEFA, even at the youth level, is impossible until a peaceful settlement of the war. UEFA refused to admit Russia to the U-17 competitions in 2023.
The UAF has decided on the venue for the potential two play-off matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Ukrainian national team will play its home games in Valencia, Spain, at the "Ciutat de València" stadium.
UEFA fined the Ukrainian Football Association 34,000 euros for fans running onto the field, using pyrotechnics, and displaying a banner with political content during the match between the Ukrainian national team and Iceland. The UAF has three days to appeal.
Donetsk "Shakhtar" won its second consecutive victory in the group stage of the Conference League, beating Irish "Shamrock Rovers" with a score of 2:1. The Ukrainian team has 9 points after four rounds and has practically guaranteed itself a place in the playoffs.
Ukrainian Aonishiki Arata, 21-year-old Danylo Yavhusyshyn, became the first wrestler from Ukraine to win the highest tournament in professional sumo. He defeated Mongolian sumo wrestler Hoshoryu at the prestigious Kyushu tournament.
UEFA fined Polish "Legia" 25,000 euros for a banner about the Volyn tragedy and offensive chants by fans during the Conference League match against "Shakhtar". Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar condemned the provocations of Polish fans.
Film company Paramount has won the tender for Champions League television rights in the UK and Germany. This is the first time an American media group has made a major move into international sports.
Real Madrid is demanding 4. 5 billion euros in damages from UEFA over the Super League dispute. This comes after UEFA lost an appeal in a Madrid court regarding abuse of a dominant position.
President of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, stated that 371 out of 571 active referees in professional leagues have registered betting accounts. 152 of them actively placed bets, with volumes sometimes reaching tens of thousands of transactions.
Russia has submitted a bid to replace Italy as the host of Euro 2032, citing the outdated infrastructure of Italian stadiums. However, Russia is not eligible to participate in the tournament due to its invasion of Ukraine.
On October 23, Ukrainian clubs will play matches of the second round of the Conference League: "Shakhtar" will play against Polish "Legia" at 19:45, and "Dynamo" will meet Turkish "Samsunspor" at 22:00. Bookmakers consider "Shakhtar" the favorite, while in the "Dynamo" match, the advantage is on the side of the Turkish team.
State bodies and the Russian football union continue the illegal integration of Ukrainian clubs into Russian domestic competitions. The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) is protesting against the fictitious "Shakhtar". An appeal has been sent to UEFA.
The fourth round of the Futsal Extra League brought fans many goals and exciting play. The central match of the round between Kyiv Futsal and Athletic Futsal ended in a tense 1-1 draw.
On October 2, Ukrainian clubs will begin their first-round matches of the 2025/26 Conference League. Kyiv's "Dynamo" will host "Crystal Palace" in Poland, and Donetsk's "Shakhtar" will play away against Scottish "Aberdeen".
A vote by UEFA members on whether to exclude Israel from European football has been postponed as US President Donald Trump pushes his 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza. European football leaders believe that imposing sporting sanctions on Israel is not the right move during peace negotiations.
