Ukraine Calls for FIFA Apology Over Controversial Crimea Map

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry is demanding a public apology from FIFA for its controversial representation of Crimea during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, exacerbating tensions regarding the region's status.

A map presented during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has sparked outrage in Ukraine due to its failure to depict Crimea as part of the country. The map, which illustrated geopolitical restrictions prohibiting certain matchups, notably included Ukraine but excluded the Crimea peninsula, a region internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory despite being under Russian occupation since 2014.

Heorhiy Tykhy, a spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, condemned the error, calling it "an unacceptable mistake" and is expecting a formal public apology from FIFA. His statement on X (formerly Twitter) described FIFA's act as contravening international law and deemed it as facilitating Russian propaganda and aggression against Ukraine. Alongside his post, Tykhy shared a corrected version of the map, correctly illustrating Crimea as a part of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Football Association has also voiced its concerns through a letter addressed to both FIFA Secretary-General Mathias Grafström and UEFA Secretary-General Theodore Theodoridis, stressing the need for FIFA to uphold its principles in light of previous resolutions made since 2014 concerning the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Reflecting on the gravity of the situation, the correspondence urged FIFA to take a firm stance against the depiction, which they believe undermines FIFA and UEFA's credibility.

BBC News has reached out to FIFA for further comment on the issue as the 2026 World Cup approaches, starting on June 11 and concluding on July 19 in North America. Ukraine has been assigned to Group D, competing against teams like Iceland and Azerbaijan, alongside the winners of France's Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.