Sky News reports:
FIFA will formally discuss lifting the ban on all Russian teams after the International Olympic Committee urged all sports to end war-related sanctions, Sky News can reveal.
No Russian teams have played in international competitions since they were banned by FIFA and UEFA after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
And FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Sky News in February that "we have to" look at restoring Russian teams.
He added: "This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred."
The FIFA President is right. And giving Russia a red card was wrong.
Sport is not supposed to create 'more frustration and hatred'. It is supposed to be above all that, and yet:
Russia has been banned from qualifying for the 2022 and 2026 men’s World Cups and the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The sanctions were because teams in Europe were refusing to play against Russian opponents.
European teams have not said they are not happy to play against Israeli or US teams - whose countries are busily flattening Gaza, Lebanon and Iran - another obvious double standard.
If teams don't want to play against another team in a competition then don't enter the competition - it's that simple.
If individuals do not want to compete against athletes from another country then don't enter the events - it's that simple.
It's one thing to ban teams from competitions because of doping or to ban individuals from events due to testosterone levels but banning due to the country the team comes from has nothing whatever to do with raising achievement levels in sport.