FIFA ban leaves Russia on the cusp of history

In their first match of this international window in September, the Russian national team once again faces a modest opponent, in this case Jordan. This has been the pattern for the Russian side since they were excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Although the ban has deprived the national team of competing in major tournaments and facing the best teams in the world, Russia has, in fact, taken advantage of the situation to, statistically, put themselves on the verge of history.

Since the ban, which came into effect around February 2022, the Russian team, led by Valeri Karpin from the dugout, has played a total of 20 matches, recording 12 wins, seven draws and only one defeat: against Egypt U23s by 2-1.

That notable setback came in September 2023, and since then, Russia has remained unbeaten, accumulating 13 matches without a loss to date. This record puts them one step away from their best-ever unbeaten streak.

According to BeSoccer Pro, the benchmark stands at 16 matches without losing, a feat the team achieved between March 2011 and June 2012 with eight wins and eight draws. Now, with 10 victories and three draws in their most recent matches, the games in September against Jordan and Qatar could set up a record that, although influenced by the calibre of the opponents, could see these players go down in the history of Russian football.