"The main thing is to complete the task": Russia dreams of 2026 FIFA World Cup

The Russian national team is determined to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. At the same time, in early April, the aggressor country may decide to move from the European Football Union (UEFA) to the Asian Confederation (AFC).

This was stated in an interview with the RB Sport portal by the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), Alexander Dyukov. He noted that the organisation is currently awaiting the outcome of the UEFA Congress, which will also discuss the extension of sanctions against Russian teams.

"Is there a possibility of moving to Asia? Minimum or maximum - it's all subjective. Let's define the timing. Whether it is April 1 or April 5 is not so important. This is a tentative date by which we wanted to reach a certain stage. The main thing is to complete the task and take part in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This is the task we set for ourselves. I think there will be more information after the UEFA Executive Committee and Congress, which will be held in Lisbon on April 5," Dyukov said.

It should be noted that on March 23, the Russian national team failed to defeat Iran in a friendly match (1:1), and the day before it beat Iraq (2:0).

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin criticized the head coach of the Russian national team Valery Karpin and accused him of indifference to his work.

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