In the World Cup, Russia’s potential future opponents Sweden and the Czech Republic had joined Poland in saying they would refuse to take the field. The World Cup is scheduled to begin on Nov ...

Banners promoting the Russia World Cup sit on display near St Basil's cathedral on Red Square in central Moscow. Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg News

Russia is running out of World Cup qualifying opponents fast, and FIFA’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unlikely to change that.

FIFA has backed away from expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying but instead said the squad can play using the “RFU” acronym for the country’s football federation.

The memory of Russia hosting the World Cup in 2018 now seems unreal, as does the quality of Russia’s soccer back then. (The national team made it to the quarterfinals and made fans genuinely proud.)

Russia's scheduled opponent, Poland, refused to travel to Moscow to play, as did the other teams in the playoff bracket. That raised the prospect of Russia qualifying for the World Cup by default.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: The World Cup is underway. And if one of the things you like about the sport are the stories behind the players, then you'll want to stick around for our next conversation.

Exploring the Club World Cup as a World Cup preview, key issues include high temperatures, European doubts, and indoor venues as players prepare for next year.