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16-12-2024
ZURICH/ KYIV: A map shown during the draw for the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup has been criticized by Ukraine as an “unacceptable error” after it appeared to exclude Crimea as part of the country.
The graphic showing countries that cannot be drawn to play each other for geopolitical reasons highlighted Ukraine but did not include the peninsula that is internationally recognized to be part of it.
Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014 and just a handful of countries recognize the peninsula as Russian territory.
Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy said that the nation expects “a public apology”.
FIFA said it was “aware of an issue” and the image had been removed.
Writing on X, Tykhy said that FIFA had not only “acted against international law” but had also “supported Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine”.
He added a “fixed” version of the map to his post, highlighting Crimea as part of Ukraine’s territory.
Among the countries that cannot play each other are Ukraine and Belarus, Spain and Gibraltar and Kosovo versus either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia.
The Ukrainian Football Association has also sent a letter to FIFA secretary-general Mathias Grafstrom and UEFA Secretary-General Theodore over the matter.
“We appeal to you to express our deep concern about the infographic map [shown] on December 13, 2024,” the letter reads.
“Taking into account a number of official decisions and resolutions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA executive committee since 2014…we emphasize that today’s version of the cartographic image of Ukraine… is completely unacceptable and looks like an inconsistent position of FIFA and UEFA.”
The 2026 World Cup will start on 11 June that year in Mexico City and end on 19 July in New Jersey.
The expanded 48-team tournament will last a record 39 days.
Ukraine were placed in Group D alongside Iceland, Azerbaijan and the yet-to-be-determined winners of France’s Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.
Earlier, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have discovered their 2026 World Cup qualifying opponents following Friday’s draw in Zurich.
England, under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.
Wales will meet familiar foes Belgium, plus North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein. Scotland will play Greece, Belarus and the loser of the Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final.
Northern Ireland are up against Slovakia, Luxembourg and the winner of the Germany v Italy Nations League game.
The games will be played across five international breaks between March and November 2025.
The top team from each of the 12 groups qualifies automatically for the World Cup, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico with the second-placed teams going into the play-offs. A total of 16 European teams will qualify.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have been drawn in four-team groups and will not start their games until September.
The Scots face Greece, who are coincidentally also in their World Cup qualifying group, in a two-legged Nations League promotion-relegation play-off in March. (Int’l News Desk)
