Fifa regrets Ukraine map error at 2026 World Cup qualifiers draw
FIFA said it “sincerely regrets” that a map shown during the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw appeared to exclude Crimea as part of Ukraine.
The map shows countries that cannot compete with each other for geopolitical reasons, highlighting Ukraine but not including the internationally recognized Ukrainian peninsula.
Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014, and only a handful of countries recognize the peninsula as Russian territory.
FIFA has written to Igor Gryshchenko, secretary-general of the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF), regarding the matter.
“We fully understand the delicate sensitivity of this matter and, while this incident was unintentional, we sincerely apologize for any concern it may have caused,” FIFA chief member association officer Elhan Mamedov wrote. ”
World football’s governing body added that the infographic was “developed by an external third-party service provider”.
“Upon recognizing this issue, we have taken immediate steps to address it, including working to remove this image from circulation,” it added.
“Additionally, we are conducting an internal review to ensure this type of oversight does not occur again in the future.”