--- title: "IIHF leaves Belarus out of 2027 World Championship and keeps Russia's return open" description: "The IIHF confirmed that Belarusian men's and youth teams will miss the 2027 World Championships. The question of Russian teams' participation remains open following a CAS verdict that ordered their inclusion in five tournaments for the 2026/27 season." date: 2026-11-07T16:10:12.483Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iihf-belarus-russia-world-championship-2027 tags: [iihf, hockey, belarus, russia, world-championship-2027, cas, sports-arbitration] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # IIHF leaves Belarus out of 2027 World Championship and keeps Russia's return open ![IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation logo displayed on a large arena jumbotron](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/07/iihf-belorussiya-rossiya-chm-2027-status-sbornykh/iihf-belorussiya-rossiya-chm-2027-status-sbornykh-1.webp) ## Key Points - Belarusian men's and U20 youth teams will not compete in the 2027 World Championships. - The IIHF disciplinary body found no legal grounds for the immediate reinstatement of Belarusian teams. - On October 30, CAS ordered the IIHF to admit Russian teams to five 2026/27 World Championships. - The IIHF disagrees with the CAS verdict but intends to comply and is studying implementation mechanisms. - Conditions for Russia's participation (neutral status, security) remain open and subject to future negotiations. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has published an official statement confirming two key decisions regarding the status of national teams for the 2026/27 season. The Belarusian men's national team will not participate in the 2027 World Championship, and the U20 youth team will skip the world championship. At the same time, the federation announced that it is preparing further steps regarding the potential admission of Russian teams to international competitions. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing an IIHF press release. ### Decision on Belarus: Appeal rejected on the merits The IIHF Council made the decision in accordance with the principles approved at the federation's semi-annual congress in 2022. The status of Belarusian teams was reviewed after the IIHF disciplinary body partially upheld an appeal from the Ice Hockey Federation of Belarus against the Council's decision of July 27, 2026. However, the disciplinary body determined there were no legal grounds to demand the immediate reinstatement of Belarusian teams. In making its final decision, the Council considered already approved tournament formats, calendars, ticket sales, and organizational preparations. Result: the Belarusian men's and youth teams will not participate in their respective 2027 World Championships. ### CAS verdict: Russia must be admitted to five tournaments On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and ordered the IIHF to admit Russian teams to five World Championships in the 2026/27 season. The arbitration recognized that the international federation did not provide sufficient evidence to continue the suspension on security grounds. However, the court did not define the terms of neutral status for Russian teams and did not consider the organizational implications of their return, leaving these issues to the federation's discretion. ### IIHF position: Dissent despite intention to comply The IIHF stated that it continues to disagree with the CAS ruling, but confirmed its intention to comply with it. The federation is studying possible mechanisms to implement the verdict while considering tournament safety, organizational financial stability, and the long-term interests of international hockey. The IIHF also indicated the possibility of negotiations with interested national federations, particularly the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. Thus, the decision regarding Belarus is final, while the issue of Russian teams remains open: the federation must now determine the implementation process for the CAS ruling and the conditions for the possible participation of Russian teams in future tournaments. ### Context: Organizational constraints and external factors Both decisions were made against a backdrop of rigid organizational frameworks: approved formats, schedules, and ticketing programs prevent abrupt changes to participant lists. Previously, the Ukrainian side, represented by a official known as Bednyi, reported on opposition to Russia's return to the 2027 hockey championship, highlighting the ongoing political nature of the admission question. For Belarusian hockey, the decision means missing two 2027 world tournaments without immediate prospect of revision, while for Russia, it provides a formal basis for return provided the IIHF negotiates specific participation conditions with national federations. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Беларусь оставили за бортом ЧМ-2027: что решила IIHF в отношении России](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/bilorus-zalishili-bortom-chs-2027-shcho-virishila-1794067487.html) - Source: Official IIHF statements, Council decision on Belarus (July 27, 2026), CAS verdict on Russia (October 30), IIHF statement on intent to comply. ## FAQ ### Will Belarus participate in the 2027 World Championship? No. The IIHF Council confirmed that the Belarusian men's team will not participate in the 2027 World Championship, and the youth U20 team will also miss its world tournament. ### Why weren't Belarusian teams reinstated? The IIHF disciplinary body partially upheld Belarus's appeal but determined there were no legal grounds for immediate return. The Council also considered existing schedules, formats, and organizational plans. ### What did the CAS decide regarding Russia? On October 30, the CAS upheld the Russian appeal, ordering the IIHF to admit Russian teams to five 2026/27 World Championships, ruling that the IIHF's evidence for continued suspension was insufficient. ### Does the IIHF agree with the CAS ruling? The IIHF stated it disagrees with the CAS decision but intends to comply while studying implementation mechanisms regarding safety and financial stability. ### Are the conditions for Russia's participation defined? No. The CAS did not specify neutral status conditions or organizational impacts, meaning the issue remains open for negotiation between the IIHF and national federations.