The governing body for international soccer says it will not ban the Russian national team from the upcoming World Cup tournament.

FIFA has opted for lesser penalties for Russia instead. Russia will now be forced to play as the "Russian Football Union" (RFU), instead of the Russian National team. The team also may not use the Russian national anthem or the Russian flag.

According to Breitbart, the decision not to ban the Russian team was made despite organized soccer having a precedent set to ban teams during wartime. For instance, Yugoslavia was excluded in 1992 by both FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations (UFEA) after the country was sanctioned by the United Nations for waging war on the Balkans.

However, other countries’ football organizations, such as the British, Polish, Swedish and Czech soccer federations, have announced that they would not play Russia. France football federation president Noel Le Graet, who also sits on the ruling FIFA Council, said that the organization is leaning toward a boycott of Russia, stating that “the world of sport, and in particular football, cannot remain neutral.”

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