https://ukranews.com/en/news/1053095-fifa-finds-those-guilty-of-scandalous-display-of-map-of-ukraine-without-crimea


Editor: Tetiana Herasimova
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FIFA has responded to the letter from the UAF regarding the display of a map of Ukraine without the Crimean peninsula during the draw for the 2026 World Cup.

It was reported in a press release by the Ukrainian Football Association.

According to the results of the draw for the qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup, the Ukrainian national team was placed in Group D, where its rivals will be the winner of the France/Croatia pair in the Nations League playoff, Iceland and Azerbaijan.

Before the start of the draw process, FIFA showed a map of Europe on which Crimea is not the territory of Ukraine. Immediately after that, the UAF issued a statement that it had written a letter to the general secretaries of FIFA and UEFA — Mattias Grafström and Theodore Theodoridis, respectively, to receive an explanation for the error with the map.

On Sunday, December 15, the Ukrainian Football Association issued a statement that it had received a response from FIFA. The letter from the International Football Federation states that the error was caused by a third party that made the maps on behalf of the organization. FIFA assured that it would conduct an investigation to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again.

"We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 13, 2024 and would like to thank you for drawing our attention to the issue. We deeply respect the concerns expressed by the Ukrainian Football Association and understand the sensitivity of this issue."

"The infographic map in question was developed by a third party - an external contractor for the provision of relevant services. Upon discovering the problem, we immediately took steps to resolve the situation, including taking measures to remove the image from circulation. In addition, we are conducting an internal investigation to ensure that such errors do not occur again in the future," the UAF statement quotes.

FIFA also acknowledged its mistake regarding the map of Ukraine without Crimea and hopes for understanding from Ukraine, as it was done without any subtext.

"We are fully aware of the sensitivity of this issue, and although the incident was unintentional, we sincerely regret any moral damage it may have caused, and appreciate your mutual understanding, as we work with all responsibility to resolve this situation. Please feel free to contact us if you need additional clarification or would like to discuss this issue further," the letter, signed by FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov, says.

Russia did not participate in the 2026 World Cup draw, as FIFA did not allow the russians to compete due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the International Football Federation (FIFA) showed a map of Ukraine during the broadcast of the draw for the 2026 World Cup, where Crimea was marked as part of russia.