The RFU, the national governing body for football in Russia, announced that the matches featuring the Russian national team against Vietnam and Thailand will be included in the FIFA rankings. This confirmation came from the RFU’s communications team and was cited by the media outlet Sports Express in discussions about the ranking implications of the upcoming fixtures.
According to the RFU, both games will be counted toward the FIFA rankings, underscoring their significance for Russia’s standing in world football. These decisions come as the Russian side prepares for a September set of fixtures away from home, with the two matches set to be staged in Hanoi at the My Dinh Stadium. Valery Karpin’s squad is slated to face Vietnam on September 5 and then take on Thailand on September 7. Kickoff times have been scheduled for 16:00 Moscow time for both matches, aligning with local options that accommodate television and streaming audiences across the two nations and beyond.
The broader context remains prominent in discussions about Russia’s international participation. Since 2022, the Russian national team and Russian clubs have faced suspensions from competitions organized by UEFA and FIFA, a status that has prevented Russia from taking part in continental and global tournaments. As a result, Russia did not qualify for the 2024 European Championship, highlighting the impact of ongoing sanctions and exclusion from traditional qualifying campaigns that many observers link to wider geopolitical tensions rather than purely sporting considerations. This backdrop continues to influence how fans, coaches, and analysts view the current results and the potential for future integration into major international events.
In recent months, the national team has enjoyed a period of success in friendly matches. Russia has won their last three non-competitive fixtures, defeating Cuba by a wide margin, 8-0, followed by clean sheets against Serbia, 4-0, and Belarus, also 4-0. These results have been noted as signals of positive form within the squad, even as they navigate the complex landscape of international competition under current sanctions. In July 2024, reports circulated that Russia was in talks with Zambia to host a friendly match, but on July 10 the RFU officially denied that an agreement had been reached for such a game. The denial was reported by multiple outlets and reflected ongoing conversations about potential scheduling opportunities in a calendar crowded with both mandatory fixtures and exhibition matches.
On a related note, Krasnodar’s football club and its home stadium have drawn attention for their reputation within the sport. The venue is frequently highlighted in assessments of facilities around the world as a standout stadium capable of delivering a high-quality matchday experience. This recognition underscores the broader appeal of Russian football infrastructure, even in a period of restricted participation in major international competitions. The emphasis on top-tier venues accompanies the narrative around Russia’s national team as it looks for opportunities to compete on a global stage in the years ahead, including neutral venues or future reinstatement into UEFA and FIFA activities once eligibility conditions and governance positions are resolved.