Poland refuses to play Russia in WC qualifier, cites Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is refusing to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza made the announcement on Twitter, citing Russia’s aggression, and indicated Poland was in talks with other federations to present a unified position to FIFA. Previously, Poland had only said it didn’t want to play the qualifying playoff semifinal in Moscow on March 24. The winner plays Sweden or the Czech Republic for a place at the Qatar World Cup. Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, the nation’s all-time leading scorer, immediately responded to say it’s the “right decision!”