Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
It means the Russia flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and football's 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite the ban, Russia will be able to compete at Euro 2020 - in which St Petersburg will be a host city - as European football's governing body Uefa is not defined as a 'major event organisation' with regards to rulings on anti-doping breaches.
But athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.
Wada's executive committee made the unanimous decision in a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
It comes after Russia's Anti Doping Agency (Rusada) was declared non-compliant for manipulating laboratory data handed over to investigators in January 2019.
It had to hand over data to Wada as a condition of its controversial reinstatement in 2018 after a three-year suspension for its vast state-sponsored doping scandal.
It has 21 days to appeal against the ban.
A total of 168 Russian athletes competed under a neutral flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang after the country was banned at the 2014 Games in Sochi.
Russia has been banned from competing as a nation in athletics since 2015.
kizolarry
5758
Russia waiting for VAR to confirm the ban
Madjic
1313
Putin getting his missiles ready for fire. Am off to Mars. Goodbye Earth
tuobmop
706
this is the kind of penalty that should be given to those countries that still practice racism if they actually want to stop it from sport.
Gunners4ever❤
597
Atleast they didn't get this ban before hosting last year's world cup. imagine a world cup being postponed due to a punishment given to the host country...
JamesWalker
572
Russia: 4 yrs banned from World cup by WADA, But we hosted last world cup, they think is easy.😤, New plans: We'll make sure World cup 2022 won't kick off.
Volts
355
Now this is really. Did they hack into something again or maybe they have lied to the football board again. I don't but it's really sad. To bad for all Russian players.
Ama-yachi
208
What has happened for them to be handed such a punishment... Did they bribe for the hosting of 2018 World Cup
VIGOUR•
190
So.. No magic Russia in world cup again.. What happens what's fifas reason because they refused to take bribe for Argentina to win? No matter what Russia should never give up
tuobmop
189
in fact, it should even be more than this. if a whole government of a nation can be behind cheating. what are they doing when other countries are vigorously practising and labouring hard. good for them. let Putin know that he can only control Russia and not the world
whykallar
157
Russia will appeal, you can't ban a entire nation because of few individuals, any world cup without Russian, it's like sea without fish.
Charlesugwu
150
This case has been on before the last world cup in Russia. Why were they allowed to go ahead with the hosting? I am sure they contaminated all the participants in the tournament
SingamFootball
8
4 is just a number... FIFA knows how to ensure Russians participate as Stand Alone team