Russia Plans Alternative World Cup for Teams Missing 2026 Tournament.

Russia is exploring the idea of hosting a parallel international tournament in summer 2026 for national teams that fail to qualify for the official FIFA World Cup.

The proposed event, still in the early planning stage with no official confirmation, would involve 8 to 12 teams and be played entirely in Russia. The primary goal is to put pressure on FIFA to lift the sanctions that have excluded Russia from international football since 2022.

Potential participants mentioned in reports include:

  • Russia (hosts)
  • China
  • Cameroon
  • Nigeria
  • Serbia
  • Chile
  • Greece
  • Peru
  • Venezuela

For Nigeria, still reeling from missing out on the 2026 World Cup after losing the African playoff final on penalties to DR Congo, such a tournament could provide valuable competitive matches ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Russian Football Union views the event as part of a broader strategy to regain a foothold in international football, with hopes of partial reintegration (youth, women’s, futsal) before pushing for the senior men’s team to return for 2030 World Cup qualifying.

At present, the idea remains speculative and no invitations have been formally extended.