Argentine President Cancels Trip to U.S. Amid World Cup Draw Controversy

The president of Argentina has decided not to make a planned trip to participate in the World Cup draw, according to Manuel Adorni, head of the Presidential Administration. The meeting will take place on December 5 in Washington. The experiment with the new tournament format is failing. In June this year, Dmitry Svishchev, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, stated that the Russian national team would still have a chance to return to international football tournaments. He noted that Russian football players continue to play in European clubs. On February 28, 2022, FIFA and UEFA suspended national teams and clubs from the Russian Federation from participating in all competitions under their auspices. The organizations stated that football would become a “vector of unity and peace between nations” if the situation around Ukraine improved. In September 2023, FIFA President Gianni Infantino allowed the possibility of the Russian national football team participating in the 2026 World Cup. When asked on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he replied: “It will be seen.”