Russia was kicked out of World Cup qualifying after it invaded Ukraine and now can only play friendlies against the few nations prepared to accept its invitations.
The Russian men's national team's only game of 2022 so far was a 2-1 win over Kyrgyzstan in September. Russian clubs are barred from the Champions League and the women's national team was removed from the European Championship.
Games against Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina were planned for November but neither is taking place. Instead, Russia is touring two former Soviet nations to play Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Putin endorsed plans for a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina in September, saying that "sport should unite, not divide, people." That game was postponed indefinitely by the Bosnian soccer federation last month, after team captain Edin Dzeko and the national players' union opposed the game and expressed support for Ukraine.
What exactly Russia's support for Qatar involves is unclear, but Qatari officials have shown interest in the tight security around Russian games in 2018. For the first time at a World Cup, it included a mandatory "Fan ID" scheme. A ticket on its own wasn't enough to enter the stadium. Fans provided personal data to get an ID card needed to pass stadium security, which also doubled as a visa to enter the country. The same is true of Qatar's similar Hayya Card program.
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