Ukraine qualified for the Futsal Euro, but may boycott the tournament due to Belarus: details.

The Ukrainian national football team has reached the final part of the Euro, winning all six matches. However, the Belarusian team has also qualified for the tournament, which raises the possibility of a boycott by the Ukrainian team. This information is reported by 'Glavcom' citing 'Suspilne Sport'.

Reason for the possible boycott of Euro with Belarus participation

In June 2023, the Ministry of Youth and Sports made changes to the order that prohibits Ukrainian teams from participating in tournaments with Russian and Belarusian athletes. Ukrainians can only compete in a neutral status, under the flag of another country.

UEFA has completely banned Russia from participating in tournaments under its auspices, but Belarusian teams can compete under their own flag.

Therefore, Ukraine refused to participate in the European Beach Football Championship in 2023, as well as the World Beach Football Championship, where Belarus participated.

UAF's reaction to the possible boycott of the Futsal Euro due to Belarus

The 2026 European Futsal Championship will be held in Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia has banned its teams from competing against Russian and Belarusian teams due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Consultations between Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia are currently ongoing regarding this matter, but a decision on a possible boycott has not yet been made.

The President of the Latvian Football Federation, Vadim Lashenko, stated that the organization is discussing this situation with UEFA, and the results of the negotiations will be announced soon.

Ukraine is a strong team in futsal, being the bronze medalist of the World Championship and one of the strongest teams in Europe. In the previous European Championship, it finished in fourth place.

Ukraine is considering the possibility of boycotting the Euro due to Belarus's participation in the tournament and UEFA's ban on Russia participating under its flag. Consultations regarding Ukraine's participation in the Futsal Euro alongside Belarus are ongoing. A decision on a possible boycott of the Euro has not yet been made.