Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has demanded an apology from FIFA for a map that excludes Crimea from the country.

A map indicating the countries that cannot compete against each other in the qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was presented on December 13 during the tournament's draw, reports the Ukrainian edition of Azattyq.

In the graphic, Ukraine was marked in dark green, while neighboring countries, including Russia, were highlighted in light green. The Crimean Peninsula was depicted in the same color on the map.

Georgiy Tikhiy, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, stated on social media platform X that FIFA "redrew international borders" during the broadcast and supported "Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine."

The Ukrainian Football Association, in a letter to FIFA and UEFA leaders, described the displayed map as "completely unacceptable." The statement emphasized that the issue is "of utmost importance" given the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• In 2014, Moscow announced the annexation of Crimea. The existing football system on the peninsula was effectively dismantled, and the sports teams registered in Russia that played in Crimean cities were not integrated into the Russian sports hierarchy until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Russia has been suspended from participating in international football tournaments and will not take part in the World Cup draw. The Ukrainian national team has been drawn into Group D, where its opponents will be Iceland, Azerbaijan, and either France or Croatia. The World Cup will be held in three countries — the USA, Canada, and Mexico.