Russia national team head coach Valery Karpin has named the kind of opponents he would most like to see his side take on. When asked which teams he would ideally choose for friendlies, Karpin said, “Any of the top 10 in the FIFA rankings. I don’t know, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, France, whoever else. Any of them.”
Karpin’s squad is set for a busy upcoming camp with three matches lined up. On May 29, Russia will face Egypt in Cairo. Then on June 5, they host Burkina Faso in Volgograd. The series wraps up with a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on June 9 in Kaliningrad.
Currently, Egypt sits 29th in the FIFA world rankings, Burkina Faso is 57th, and Trinidad and Tobago ranks 101st.
On February 2, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the ban on Russia had not produced the desired effect, suggesting that the possibility of reinstating Russian teams should be reconsidered. However, The Times later reported that the FIFA Council does not plan to discuss the readmission of Russian players due to fears of criticism from European countries.