Double Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev denied visa for World Wrestling Championships in Croatia
Double Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling and captain of the Russian national team, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a native of Daghestan, will not be able to compete at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, after being refused a Schengen visa.
According to the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR), Sadulaev will be replaced in the 97-kilogramme category by another Daghestani wrestler, Magomed Kurbanov.
The World Wrestling Championships will be held in the Croatian capital from 13–21 September. The Russian team includes Olympic champions and multiple world title holders, yet Sadulaev, one of the most decorated wrestlers in history, has once again found himself sidelined from the international arena.
‘It’s hard to accept, because we spend the whole season preparing for the main events. [...] I will continue to fight as long as I have my health and energy. I accept this test from the Almighty with patience and humility, believing that there is wisdom and goodness in His will’, Sadulaev wrote on Instagram.
This is not the first time Sadulaev has been denied entry to European countries. He previously missed two European Championships in a row for the same reason: in 2024, he was barred from entering Romania, and in April 2025, he was refused a visa for Slovakia. He was also unable to take part in the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2024.
According to media reports, in January 2024, Sadulaev obtained a single-entry tourist visa to Spain in order to fly to the European Championships in Romania. However, entry into Romania required either a national visa or a multiple-entry Schengen visa. As a result, he was refused entry at the border and, along with that, received a 59-month ban on entering Schengen countries.
FSBR president Mikhail Mamiashvili previously stated that the visa situation was ‘political in nature’ and promised to raise the issue with the Russian Foreign Ministry. In his words, Sadulaev’s exclusion ‘ruined the international career of a great wrestler’.
Sadulaev, 29, is a two-time Olympic champion (2016 and 2020), a six-time world champion, and a multiple European champion.
In 2025, he had a chance to win world gold for the seventh time, equalling the record set by Soviet wrestler Aleksandr Medved and Bulgaria’s Valentin Yordanov. Fans were particularly anticipating a potential showdown between Sadulaev and Akhmed Tazhudinov, the 22-year-old Daghestani who competes for Bahrain. In 2023, Tazhudinov defeated Sadulaev at the World Championships, though Sadulaev was injured at the time.
Instead of Sadulaev, Kurbanov will travel to Zagreb. Kurbanov is a silver medallist at the 2021 World Championships (92 kg) and European champion the same year. He is also regarded as one of the Russian team’s strongest wrestlers.
The future of Sadulaev’s international career will largely depend on the location of future tournaments. The 2026 World Championships are due to take place either in Bahrain or in Slovakia. If the Slovakian capital is chosen, Sadulaev risks missing out once again. However, the 2026 European Championships may be held outside the Schengen Area — in Serbia, North Macedonia, or Albania — where visa-related issues would not prevent him from taking part.
Despite the repeated refusals, Sadulaev remains optimistic. After winning the 2025 Russian Championships he said he was ‘at peak form’ and determined to continue his career.
According to Mamiashvili, visa difficulties also arose for another leading wrestler, Olympic champion and three-time world champion from North Ossetia, Zaurbek Sidakov. However, he eventually received permission to enter and flew to Zagreb with the Russian national team, which departed for Croatia on Thursday night.
On Friday afternoon, Mamiashvili reported that Sidakov, as well as his national team partners Akhmed Usmanov and Abdulla Kurbanov, were being held at Zagreb Airport.
‘The athletes flew to Zagreb, but now they have been held at the airport for several hours for checks. They are simply being mocked,’ Mamashvili said. ‘A “normal” European approach. The championship organisers are trying to help. I hope the situation will be resolved soon’.
After five hours, they were finally allowed into the country.
OC Media
