Russia vs Nicaragua & Mali: 2026 World Cup Friendlies – Team News & Preview

March 25, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

The Russian national football team will face Nicaragua in Krasnodar on March 27th and Mali in St. Petersburg on March 30th, marking the first international fixtures of 2026 for Valery Karpin’s squad.

The matches come after a November window that saw the team draw with Peru and lose to Chile, both games played without the opposing teams fielding their strongest lineups. Karpin will be looking for improved results as his team prepares for future competitions.

Nicaragua as a Test

Russia is heavily favored in the match against Nicaragua, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.05 for a Russian victory. A draw is priced at 15.50, and a Nicaragua win at 32.00. Nicaragua currently ranks 131st in the FIFA rankings, with the majority of its players competing in the domestic league.

Despite their ranking, Nicaragua has shown some competitive form in the recent World Cup qualifying tournament, notably drawing with Costa Rica and defeating Honduras. This performance suggests they may present a slightly tougher challenge than some of Russia’s previous opponents, though bookmakers have set the handicap at only three goals.

Mali Presents a Greater Challenge

The upcoming match against Mali is expected to be a more significant test. Mali recently reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations, where they lost narrowly to eventual champions Senegal. They progressed from a group containing Zambia, Morocco, and the Comoros, and defeated Tunisia in the round of 16, though all group stage matches ended in draws, with progression to the knockout stage decided by a penalty shootout.

Mali is described as a strong and defensively organized team. Baltika defender Nathan Gassama currently plays in the Russian Premier League. Reports indicate that several key players may be unavailable for the match against Russia, but the team is expected to maintain its characteristic style of play. Bookmakers offer odds of 1.70 for a Russian win, 5.40 for a Malian victory, and 3.60 for a draw.

Squad List

Valery Karpin has named a 31-player squad for the international window. Igor Diveev and Alexey Batrakov have been ruled out due to health concerns.

Goalkeepers: Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain), Denis Adamov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Anton Mitryushkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Stanislav Agkatsev (Krasnodar), Maxim Borisko (Baltika Kaliningrad).

Defenders: Alexander Silyanov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Evgeny Morozov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Ilya Vakhania (Rostov), Viktor Melekhin (Rostov), Ruslan Litvinov (Spartak Moscow), Valentin Paltsev (Krasnodar), Danil Krugovoy (CSKA Moscow), Mingiyan Beveev (Baltika Kaliningrad).

Midfielders: Danil Prutsev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Matvey Kislyak (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Oblyakov (CSKA Moscow), Dmitry Barinov (CSKA Moscow), Kirill Glebov (CSKA Moscow), Nail Umyarov (Spartak Moscow), Daniil Fomin (Dynamo Moscow), Yaroslav Gladyshev (Dynamo Moscow), Maxim Glushenkov (Zenit St. Petersburg), St. Petersburg (Baltika Kaliningrad), Lechi Sadulayev (Akhmat Grozny), Alexander Golovin (Monaco).

Forwards: Konstantin Tyukavin (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry Vorobyov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Nikolai Komlichenko (Lokomotiv Moscow), Georgy Melkadze (Akhmat Grozny).