As the 2026 World Cup approached, Russia’s national team was closing out its season with a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, a much lower-ranked team, in Kaliningrad.
After the final whistle, players bid farewell to the fans as the stadium echoed with a children’s choir singing “Goodbye, America” by Soviet rock legend Vyacheslav Butusov.
On giant screens around the stadium, organizers showed highlights from Russia’s past World Cup campaigns — a visual reminder that this team, which has spent more than five years outside major international tournaments due to the invasion of Ukraine, will again miss football’s biggest event.
Yet while the national team remains barred from major tournaments and clubs are excluded from European competition, Russian players continue to secure transfers abroad — and some football officials are quietly discussing a path back to the international game.
‘Russian players want the war to end soon’
