FIFA Dismisses Reports of Russia Not Taking Part in 2022 World Cup

FIFA, the international football association, has rejected reports that Russia might be barred from taking part in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"We have no update to the statement we issued in December where we pointed out that FIFA remains in contact with WADA... to clarify the essence of the decision taken by WADA's Compliance Committee in regard to football", the press-service for FIFA said on Wednesday.

Similarly, RUSADA and the Russian Football Union earlier stated that they had not been notified by WADA about the status of the Russian national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The statements come as Qatar-based BeIN Sports TV network cited unnamed sources as saying that the Russian team would be barred from the 2022 FIFA World Cup as per WADA's notification.

The next FIFA World Cup is set to take place in November-December 2022 in Qatar.

In December, WADA's executive committee unanimously consented to the decision by the international body's Compliance Review Committee that recommended banning Russian athletes from participating in international competitions for four years. According to the decision, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency was found to be non-compliant with the anti-doping code. The decree has not been enacted yet as the WADA-RUSADA case was submitted for review to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.