FIFA blames ‘external third party’ for Ukraine map gaffe | Football News

FIFA on Tuesday apologised for not showcasing the territory of Crimea as part of Ukraine in a map during the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw and blamed an ‘external third-party service provider’ for the gaffe.
The error occurred during the draw when a graphic was being shown on countries that couldn’t face each other due to geopolitical concerns. Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014 and there are only a few countries in the world that recognise it as Russian territory.
FIFA wrote to the Ukrainian Association of Football General Secretary Igor Gryshchenko and said, “We fully understand the delicate sensitivity of this matter and while the incident was unintentional, we sincerely regret any concern it may have caused,” wrote Fifa chief member associations officer Elkhan Mammadov.
“Upon recognising the issue, we have taken immediate steps to address the situation, including working to have the image removed from circulation,” it added. “Additionally, we are conducting an internal review to ensure such oversights do not recur in the future.”
A spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign minry demanded that FIFA give a ‘public apology’ for the gaffe made at the draw. Posting on X, Heorhiy Tykhy said that FIFA, “not only acted against international law, but also supported Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine”.
Ukraine were drawn in Group D of the World Cup qualifiers along with Iceland, Azerbaijan and one of France or Croatia. The 2026 World Cup will be a first of its kind, with 48 teams instead of the usual 32. The World Cup will take place in Mexico, Canada and the United States of America.

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