The incident took place on Friday during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying draw in Zurich, Switzerland.
During the event, which was live streamed, a map showed the national borders of several countries, but excluded the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine’s territorial limits.
The UAF said it sent a letter to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis to express “deep concern” regarding the infographic presented by the sport’s governing bodies.
The UAF said: “...we emphasize that the version of the map presented by FIFA during the global broadcast to a multi-million audience is unacceptable.”
The football association also condemned “the ongoing destructive invasion initiated by Russia against Ukraine in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe.”
Meanwhile, FC Karpaty, a football club based in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, posted a screenshot of the map on social media and demanded an apology from FIFA.
The team said: “In addition to failing to recognize Belarus as one of the aggressors and suspend it from the competition, you are also violating the sovereign borders of Ukraine.
“Crimea was, is, and will remain Ukrainian. And by doing so, you are playing into the hands of the occupiers and aggressors, legitimizing their actions. We call for an apology!”
While Russia has been banned by FIFA from taking part in international competitions due to its ongoing war in Ukraine, Belarus – which helped facilitate Moscow’s invasion – is permitted to play.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after a popular uprising prompted a Russia-friendly president to flee Ukraine and Russian proxies seized swathes of territory in the country's east.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, its troops have captured about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory and proclaimed the annexation of four additional provinces – though Moscow does not fully control any of them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that the return of Crimea, which is still recognized internationally as part of Ukraine,
must be achieved through diplomacy.
The FIFA World Cup will be held in June and July 2026 in three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Poland will face either European champions Spain or semi-finalists the Netherlands in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, as well as Finland, Lithuania and Malta.
