Poland refuses to play Russia in World Cup qualification playoff match after invasion of Ukraine

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 1219 GMT (2019 HKT) February 26, 2022

The Polish national football team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier Group I match against England in Warsaw.

(CNN)The Polish national team will not face Russia in a crucial 2022 World Cup qualification playoff match in March because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The president of Poland's football association Cezary Kulesza announced the news on Saturday. «No more words, time to act! Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia,» he tweeted. «We are in talks with (Swedish) and (Czech) federations to bring forward a joint statement to FIFA.»Poland was due to travel to Moscow to face Russia on Thursday, March 24, while Ukraine was scheduled to travel to face Scotland on the same day. Read MoreThe winner of the Poland-Russia game would host either Sweden or Czech Republic on March 29 in the final of their World Cup qualification route. Bayern Munich superstar and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski echoed Kulesza's sentiment, saying: «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," Lewandowski tweeted. «Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can't pretend that nothing is happening.»Other members of the Polish squad released joint statements on their social media — one in Polish and one in English — agreeing with their football association's decision.«We, the players of the Polish national team, together with the Polish Football Association, decided that as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, we do