MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. A possible exhibition football match between the national teams of Russia and the United States is not yet being considered, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday.
"I would like to touch upon sports, namely ice hockey and football," Lavrov told students and faculty at MGIMO University in Moscow.
"The United States is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup jointly with Mexico and Canada," he continued. "I know that in some circles, including within the FIFA administration, talks are already underway on organizing a potential football friendly match [between Russia and the United States]."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The matches will be staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This will be the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.
According to him, Russia and the United States used to have a tradition of sports exchanges in the past.
"We used to have regular hockey tours to each other, and there is strong interest in this," Lavrov remarked.
Russia’s top diplomat stressed that sports contacts and cultural exchanges can help strengthen mutual trust.
"Right now, based on a decision made at the initiative of our president, the first international song contest ‘Intervision’ will be held in just 12 days, on September 20," Lavrov said. "More than 20 countries are participating, almost all the BRICS states, CIS partners, and a number of African, Asian, and Latin American countries. A US entrant is expected."
"This is why I believe that the more such contacts, the more exchanges at different levels, the better," Lavrov emphasized.
The foreign minister also underlined that there have never been insurmountable problems in relations between Russia and the United States.
"These problems have always arisen because of ideology. If I remind you once again that [US Secretary of State] Marco Rubio said their foreign policy is no longer ideology, but national interests, then there is a lot we can agree on."
Russia’s football ban
The world’s governing football body, FIFA, announced on February 28, 2022, that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from participating in FIFA tournaments.
In turn, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made a similar decision regarding the Russian national football team’s participation in UEFA tournaments.
Both FIFA and UEFA cited Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as grounds for their respective bans on Russian teams’ participation in competitions.
Intervision contest
The Intervision Song Contest, organized by the International Radio and Television Organization (OIRT), which operated from 1946 to 1993, was held between 1965 and 1977 as a counterpart to the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by the European Broadcasting Union after its split from the OIRT. Alongside socialist countries close to the Soviet Union, Intervision participants also included performers from Austria, Belgium, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Finland.
The revived Intervision event will take place in Moscow on September 20. Singer Yaroslav Dronov, better known by his stage name "Shaman," will represent Russia. Around twenty nations, including all BRICS members, have confirmed their participation.
TASS is the information partner of the contest.