UEFA Bars Belarus from Hosting International Games After Invasion of Ukraine

UEFA has banned Belarus from hosting international competitions because of the country's role in Russia's attacks on Ukraine, per the Associated Press.

FIFA and UEFA announced Monday they have banned Russian teams from all club and international competitions.

Belarus could face a similar ban with the European football governing body yet to make a final decision. 

"The UEFA executive committee will convene further extraordinary meetings, on a regular ongoing basis where required, to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves," UEFA said in a statement.

The current decision will impact the Belarusian women's national team, which is scheduled to host Iceland on May 7 in a 2023 World Cup qualifying match. The contest could be moved to a neutral country, although no fans will be allowed to attend.

Belarus has four more scheduled matches in this round of qualifying after Iceland, although the next home match would be in September. If the squad is banned altogether, it could create an easier path for Netherlands, Iceland or the Czech Republic to advance.

In men's World Cup qualifying, Belarus has already been eliminated and is not part of the final playoff, which features both Russia and Ukraine. The next matches scheduled for the men's senior team are in June for the UEFA Nations League.