"It's obvious": Russian former national team player complains that Russians are given "false hopes" of participating in the 2026 World Cup

Former Russian national football player Andrei Kanchelskis expressed confidence that the national team from the aggressor country will not participate in the 2026 World Cup. The former player of Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Manchester United noted that it is unlikely that the Russian representatives will return in the next few years.

Kanchelskis said this in an interview with the RB Sport portal. The native of Kirovohrad (now Kropyvnytskyi), who spoke cynically about the war in Ukraine, recalled that the European Football Union (UEFA) had previously banned the Russians from the Nations League and the qualifying tournament for the 2024 FIFA World Cup.

"We should not have any illusions about the national team's performance on the international stage. We have already been banned from the Euro and the League of Nations. This trend will continue for a few more years. The Russian Federation can say whatever they want, give fans false hopes, but the Russian national team will not be at the 2026 World Cup, we will not be allowed, it's obvious," Kanchelskis said.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!