FIFA says it “sincerely regrets” that a map that was displayed during the qualification draw for the 2026 World Cup seemed to leave out Crimea as a part of Ukraine.
Although Ukraine was highlighted in the design, which depicts nations that cannot be drawn to play each other for geopolitical reasons, the internationally recognized peninsula was left off.
Since 2014, Russia has occupied Crimea, and only a few nations acknowledge the peninsula as Russian territory.
Igor Gryshchenko, general secretary of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF), has received a letter from FIFA regarding the issue.
Elkhan Mammadov, the chief member associations officer for FIFA, commented, “We sincerely regret any concern it may have caused, even though the incident was unintentional. We fully understand the delicate sensitivity of this matter.”
