FIFA - No World Cup ban yet for Russia but team can't use flag, anthem

FIFA backed away from immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying on Sunday but said it remained an option, deciding instead the squad can play using the «RFU» acronym for the country's football federation.

The unanimous ruling by the FIFA Bureau, featuring the six regional football confederation presidents, was also that the Russian flag and anthem can't be associated with the team.

«FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sport organizations to determine any additional measures or sanctions,» FIFA said in a statement, «including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly.''

The decision adopts the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling before the invasion of Ukraine, punishing Russia's cover-up of the investigation into state-sponsored doping. It meant the Russians had to compete at the last two Olympics as the ROC team. FIFA had stalled implementing the ban on Russia competing under the country's name until a potential qualification the World Cup.

FIFA also said the RFU team can only play on neutral territory and without spectators.

It was not immediately clear if the decision to use the acronym for the Russian Football Union would satisfy Poland, which said Saturday that it would refuse to play Russia in a World Cup playoff semifinal, which is scheduled for Moscow for March 24.

The winner of the playoff is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 to decide who advances to the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar.

The Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden on Sunday in saying it would refuse to play Russia.

»The Czech FA executive committee, staff members and players of the national