Poland's Under-15 football team refused to travel in the same bus as Russia at the Under-15 World Cup after organizers placed both squads together.
Officials representing the Polish delegation intervened immediately to request a change of transport, according to reporting by Polish sports outlet Kanal Sportowy. The organizers accepted the request, allowing both national squads to travel to their destinations in separate vehicles.
Thousands of young footballers are competing at the global youth tournament, where delegations reside at a specially built sports complex before travelling to fixtures in pairs aboard shared buses. The joint travel assignment occurred on a single day, though reports noted that it remains unconfirmed whether the shared transport was an intentional arrangement or an administrative oversight.
Boycott stance against Russia and Belarus
The transport incident comes amid an established boycott pledge by the Polish Football Association, known as PZPN. Cezary Kulesza, the president of PZPN, stated ahead of the competition that Poland will not step onto the pitch against Russia or Belarus at any phase of the event. Kulesza confirmed that the governing body had already communicated its resolute position directly to FIFA.
Should Poland and Russia face each other in the upcoming knockout rounds, Polish officials intend to forfeit the contest as a walkover. With the tournament scheduled to conclude on Saturday, October 31, there is a strong possibility that the two sides will cross paths before the final whistle of the competition.
Group stage results and federation background
Poland advanced to the knockout stage following a dominant campaign in Group AC, winning all five of their opening matches without conceding a goal. The team registered 45 goals across the preliminary stage, concluding the run with a 20-0 victory against Sao Tome and Principe after earlier fixtures against Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Georgia and Namibia.
PZPN is the national governing body responsible for organizing football in Poland, overseeing youth development, national squads and domestic league competitions from its headquarters in Warsaw. FIFA, the international governing body based in Zurich, oversees world tournaments and sets competition regulations for member associations across the globe.
