Qatar World Cup 2022: Poland to boycott play-off match against Russia amid Ukraine crisis

Poland will refuse to play their World Cup play-off match against Russia next month, according to the Polish FA.

Poland were due to travel to the Dinamo Lev Yashin Stadium on March 24, but the current crisis in Ukraine had caused uncertainty around the fixture.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, ordered troops into Ukraine earlier this week and their national football team are suffering the reprecussions of the invasion.

The Polish FA’s president, Cezary Pulesza, wrote on Twitter: “No more words, time to act!

“Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia.”

A number of football stars have shared their support for the decision, with the Polish captain and record scorer, Robert Lewandowski, tweeted: “I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues.

In a seperate statement, the Poland team said: “It is not an easy decision, but there are more important things in life than football.

“Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian nation and our friend from the national team, Tomasz Kedziora, who. is still in Kiev with his family.”

Over 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have left Russia since the invasion began on Thursday, with Poland taking in around 100,000.

The announcement from the Polish FA comes after news that the 2022 Champions League final venue has been changed from Zenit St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena to the Stade de France in Paris.