‘Fierce shame from hopelessness’: RF to play football matches with Syria and Eritrea.

The Russian national football team cannot participate in international competitions due to sanctions imposed on the country by FIFA and UEFA after the invasion of Ukraine. A large number of countries refuse to play with the occupiers, hence the Russians cannot find opponents for friendly matches. This is reported by Sky News.

The Russian team planned friendly matches with Pakistan for October, but this team refused due to insufficient preparation. Currently, the Russians plan to meet with the Syrian team in November, but many countries refuse to play against Russia due to sanctions. The Russian team is left practically without opponents on the international stage.

This complicates Russia's relations in football, as more and more countries shy away from the possibility of playing with the Russian team. Russia may meet teams from Eritrea and several African countries. Russian fans actively discuss the situation online and condemn it.

Ukraine has appealed to the International Association of the World Games with an official letter, calling to maintain the ban on the participation of Russian athletes in international games in 2025. Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted a decision on sanctions against Russia.

USA expanded sanctions against Russia

The United States of America has expanded sanctions against Russia, particularly on the defense and metallurgical sectors. This is reported by the US Department of the Treasury.