The map above shows the football (soccer) matches that will never happen, thanks to the ban on such match-ups imposed by two football governing bodies, the UEFA (European body) and FIFA (world body).
The reasons that these match-ups will not materialize in the near future is because of each country’s lack of recognition of another, as well as historical animosity.
The most prominent display on the map is that of Russia, where it is not allowed to play against Ukraine and Kosovo.
In the case of Ukraine, it all started when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, even before Russia launched a full-blown invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This resulted in UEFA and FIFA banning Russia from all international football tournaments.
In the case of Kosovo, this is caused by Russia’s support of Serbia’s claim on Kosovo, with Serbia considering Kosovo a breakaway territory. This also means that a Kosovo vs. Serbia match is out of the running, too. In addition, Kosovo also cannot play against Bosnia & Herzegovina, as the latter country also supports the Serbian claim on Kosovo.
A footie match between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not possible, too, because of the two countries’ ethnic and territorial conflicts.
Lastly, a Spain vs. Gibraltar football match is ruled out, as both Spain and the United Kingdom have an ongoing dispute on the Gibraltar islands.
Not only are the bans effective on each country’s national football teams, but they also apply on those countries’ local football clubs.
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