Russia’s World Cup squad was declared free of doping by FIFA on Tuesday after the global soccer body followed up on the McLaren report, which uncovered widespread cheating across more than 30 sports in the country.
A report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and compiled by Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren in 2016 found that more than 1,000 Russian competitors were involved in a conspiracy to conceal positive drug tests over a five-year period. Soccer was among the sports involved.
Russia, which will host the World Cup in June and July, has acknowledged some findings of the McLaren report but has repeatedly denied the existence of a state-sponsored doping programme.
“FIFA performed several unannounced targeted doping controls in the process of the investigations and the Russian squad has been one of the most tested teams prior to the World Cup,” Claimed FIFA.