No positive drugs tests in Russia, says Fifa

Fifa yesterday announced there had been no positive drugs tests during the World Cup – again. The governing body confirmed that 626 urine, blood and serum samples had been collected from players since its flagship event began, 108 of which were not on match days.

With 62 of the 64 games played, that meant each game saw an average of more than eight players tested – double the Fifa minimum of two from each team.

However, at least 85 per cent of players did not undergo a single nonotice test during the tournament.

Fifa said 90 per cent of all tests at the event had been targeted, although it provided scant further detail, having refused last month to reveal how many it had conducted on Russia’s squad following their staggering start to the tournament.

It did reveal that every player from the four semi-finalists – England, France, Belgium and Croatia – had been tested 4.41 times since January, with some tested eight times. And it said a total of 2,037 tests had been conducted over that period, producing 3,985 samples (1,928 urine, 1,031 whole blood, 1,026 serum), with 2,761 of them collected directly by Fifa in unannounced controls prior to the competition and 626 during it.

It said there had been only one adverse analytical finding (AAF) – the player involved had a medical exemption to use the banned substance – and three atypical findings that were not found to be AAFS.

No player has failed a drugs test during the World Cup since Diego Maradona in 1994.