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FIFA boss Infantino wants Russia to return to football

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  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes it is time to reinstate Russia, who has been banned since invading Ukraine in 2022, to football.
  • Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi said the words were detached from a “reality in which children are being killed.”
  • Russian and Belarussian athletes are about to compete as neutrals at the Winter Olympics in Italy

What has FIFA said about Russia’s ban?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he wants Russia reinstated to international football tournaments.

“We have to [look at reinstating Russia], definitely, because this ban has not achieved anything. It has just created ‍more frustration and hatred,” Infantino said in an interview with Sky. “Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”

Infantino added that the ban had “not achieved anything” and “created more frustration, and hatred.”

Russia has been banned from international football since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, four years ago. They were expelled from the World Cup in Qatar that year, and were not part of qualifying for the 2026 tournament that will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer. The men’s team have been playing friendlies ever since, but have not played a competetive match since the 2018 World Cup, which the country hosted and the team made the quarterfinals of.

In 2023, European football governors UEFA briefly planned to allow Russia’s U17s teams to compete, saying they didn’t want to punish children for the actions of a government. However, UEFA did not follow through on this plan after pressure from a dozen national federations.

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Donald Trump receives first FIFA peace prize

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UEFA’s executive committee meets on February 11 and has the authority to reinstate Russia to its club and international tournaments. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said for Russia to return to competitive football, the invasion of Ukraine needs to end.

Have Ukraine responded to Infantino’s words?

Yes. Ukraine sports minister Matvii Bidnyi told Sky News: “Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible – not to say infantile. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed.”

“War is a crime, not politics,” continued Bidnyi. “It is Russia that politicises sport and uses it to justify aggression.

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“I share the position of the Ukrainian Association of Football, which also warns against Russia’s return to international competitions.

“As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicizing sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity and fair play.”

The Shakhtar Academy Berlin

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Indeed, just a day after Infantino’s words, Ukrainian officials explained that Russia resumed strikes on Kyiv, ending the cold-weather truce announced by US President Donald Trump. Ukrainian authorities report injuries, attacks on energy infrastructure, and emergency heating cuts.

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Does this change the status of Russian athletes competing in the Winter Olympics?

No. Athletes from Russia and Belarus will only be allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, a special designation created by the IOC for athletes whose Olympic committees are suspended or banned.

And even then, not all athletes have been approved for this neutral status, as there is a strict list of requirements set by the IOC after Russia’s invasion and subsequent ban. These requirements are to make sure that neutral athletes are not tied to the political or military actions that led to the ban on Russia as a nation in the Olympics.

A Russian bobsleigh heads down a track marked 'Sochi 2014' and bearing the Olympic rings
Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 but the country is banned from the upcoming Games in ItalyImage: Getty Images/AFP/L. Bonaventure

This situation was made more complicated in 2023, when the Russian Olympic Committee took control of sports bodies in occupied Ukraine, which the IOC declared as crossing a legal boundary in the Olympic system.

There will be 13 Russian athletes competing as neutrals in Milan-Cortina, and seven from Belarus. This is in huge contrast to the the previous two Olympics. In 2018, athletes from Russia had to compete under the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” designation due to a state-sponsored doping scandal in the country. Despite that, over 160 athletes still competed under the OAR designation, winning 17 medals.

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Four years later, in Beijing, more than 200 athletes won 32 medals for Russia under the “Russian Olympic Committee” designation because of the doping scandal. Four days after the end of those Games, Russia invaded Ukraine.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

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TGL semifinals on Sportsnet: Jupiter vs. Boston

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Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links meet Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common with a spot in the TGL championship on the line on Tuesday.

Live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT.

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Tim Bradley u-turns on Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia 2 prediction: “It should be easy”

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A rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney is fast becoming one of the biggest fights in the sport of boxing, with the fact that both men now hold welterweight world titles only adding to the allure of the second instalment of their fierce rivalry. In anticipation, Tim Bradley has reversed his prediction for the proposed contest.

Haney and Garcia first collided in April 2024, and Garcia looked to have secured a career-best win while simultaneously handing Haney the first defeat of his career.

However, the result of the bout – a majority decision in Garcia’s favour – was later overturned when he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug during, with the official outcome of the clash becoming a no-contest.

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Both men have since moved up to the welterweight division and earned a world title, with Haney holding the WBO strap and Garcia in possession of the WBC crown.

A rematch between the duo would not only settle one of the most intense rivalries of recent times, but also a unify belts in a standout division.

When discussing the bout back in November, two-division world champion Tim Bradley spoke with confidence, suggesting that the demons and the mental impact of their initial encounter would mean a Garcia win.

“Just as well as Devin did a great job, I still see a little residue, it’s still there. It could be a part of his strategy, defence first, I get it.

“At the back end of the fight, he was winning easily, he didn’t want to take too many chances, he didn’t want to open himself up, but I saw Norman marching forward, letting his hands go and there was less and less activity from Devin – I can’t ignore that.

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“It could be by design, maybe not. I’m just saying, Garcia has his number.”

Now, four months later, Bradley seems to have adopted a different mindset, releasing a video titled Haney will beat Garcia in the rematch. ‘Desert Storm’ now backs Haney to avoid the mistakes he made first time around.

“Looking at the fight, the first fight. Devin, in that fight, besides the rounds that he got knocked down in, he was winning those rounds, outboxing Ryan.

“He was taking the initiative at times, coming forward, forcing Ryan onto his back foot but keeping his distance at the same time and avoiding getting countered or hit with that big left-hook.”

“If Haney doesn’t touch the canvas, if he doesn’t get caught, if he doesn’t fall asleep, if he controls what is going on at all times and he is on his P’s and Q’s, he should be able to outbox Ryan Garcia with ease. He shouldn’t have a hard time outboxing a Garcia.”

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Before Haney-Garcia II talk can gather too much momentum, ‘The Dream’ looks poised for an alternate unification opportunity, with reports suggesting that he will face off with WBA titleholder Rolando Romero on Saturday, May 30.

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When does Invincible season 4 premiere? First look, returning voice cast and more

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Invincible season 4 is the next part of the amazing animated superhero series on Prime Video. It will show what has happened to Mark Grayson as he deals with the results of his previous choices. Season 4 comes at a time when season 3 ended with its hero having gotten darker, and so the story will be more intense and emotionally complicated.

The show has a loyal fan base since it first aired in 2021 because of its mixture of superhero elements and focus on the characters. In season 4, the series will most likely unfold more aspects of the universe, bringing in new enemies as well as making the existing disputes more complex.

The new season is still based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, and the show hasn’t lost its interest in major fights as well as in individual problems.

Invincible season 4 premieres on March 18, 2026, on Amazon Prime Video, continuing Mark Grayson’s story with returning voices like Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J.K. Simmons alongside new cast additions.


When and where is Invincible season 4 releasing?

Invincible season 4 is coming to Amazon Prime Video on March 18, 2026. It can be streamed in over 240 countries and territories as it rolls out globally via the platform. Like all the previous seasons, season 4 will be included in the Prime Video library and accessible only to Prime subscribers.

The release keeps the show on track since the first two seasons were released on Prime Video as well. Even though the time when each episode will be made public has not been disclosed yet in the draft, the series has used both weekly and split-release formats before.

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So, fans might see season 4 mainly as one of the platform’s top animated titles. Subscribers can also watch all the previous seasons, so it is possible to catch up on the earlier stories before season 4 is out. The series is still one of the most popular animated shows on Prime Video, with a great audience and critical response.

Read More: Will there be a Virgin River season 8? Renewal status explained/explored


More details on Invincible season 4

Invincible season 4 (Image Via Prime Video)Invincible season 4 (Image Via Prime Video)
Invincible season 4 (Image Via Prime Video)

Invincible season 4 will begin right after the events of the last season, when Mark Grayson’s story came to a rather bleak point. Naturally, the new season dives deep into the repercussions of his actions, especially as he fiercely resolves to shield those dearest to him.

Prime Video says,

“As the world slowly recovers from its recent ordeal, a changed Mark is battling to safeguard his home and his loved ones, a path that leads him to a confrontation with a threat that might change the destiny of humanity forever”.

New villains like Thragg, Dinosaurus, and Universa are among the introduced characters in Invincible season 4. They are likely to be instrumental in widening the conflict as Mark and his team confront more and more perilous situations. The story still revolves around Mark’s difficulties in juggling his superhero obligations and his personal life, which is, in fact, the show’s main focus so far.

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The voice cast of season 4 reunites some of the familiar faces, with Steven Yeun reprising his role as Mark Grayson, Sandra Oh coming back as Debbie Grayson, and J.K. Simmons returning as Nolan Grayson. The show carries on with a huge ensemble cast that features famous actors like Gillian Jacobs, Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, and Mark Hamill.

Besides the familiar voices, Invincible season 4 unveils a brand new set of actors to the cast, such as Lee Pace, Matthew Rhys, and Danai Gurira. These new faces are likely to stir up the series’ dynamics, especially as they unfold their roles as the main villains of the story.

Characters like Atom Eve and the Guardians of the Globe who are an integral part of the show’s main storyline will also continue to be a part of the season. As the storyline goes on, Invincible season 4 will be the characters developing their already intertwined relationships and, at the same time, widening the scope of their conflicts.

Read More: Shrinking season 3 episode 7 ending explained: What happened to Maya?

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The show will premiere exclusively on March 18, 2026, on Prime Video.