Poland are refusing to play their World Cup qualifier against Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza said on Saturday.
Russia are set to face Poland on March 24 and the winner of that match plays whoever triumphs between Sweden and Czech Republic in a playoff on March 29 in the Path B final to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But Kulesza made the announcement on Twitter, citing Russia’s assault, and indicated Poland was in talks with other federations to present a unified position to FIFA.
“No more words, time to act!” Kulesza wrote, saying the move was prompted by the “escalation of the aggression.”
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski added: “It is the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and…
