FIFA said it was “sincerely sorry” that a map shown during the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers excluded Crimea as part of Ukraine.
The graphic – showing countries that cannot be drawn to play with each other for geopolitical reasons – highlighted Ukraine but did not include the internationally recognized peninsula as part of it.
Crimea has been occupied by Russia since 2014, and only a few countries recognize the peninsula as Russian territory.
FIFA has written to Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) general secretary Igor Grischenko on the matter.
“We fully understand the delicate sensitivity of this matter and, while the incident was unintentional, we sincerely regret any concern it may have caused,” FIFA chief member association officer Elkhan Mammadov wrote.
World football’s governing body added that the infographic was “produced by an external third-party service provider”.
“After the matter was recognised, we have taken immediate steps to address the situation including working to remove the image from circulation,” it added.
“Additionally, we are conducting an internal review to ensure that this type of oversight does not repeat itself in the future.”
