25 Roubles 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Transdniestria — a breakaway strip of territory between Moldova and Ukraine, unrecognized by the United Nations — issued this coin through its own central bank, an institution with no standing in international finance. The FIFA licensing question alone is worth noting: how a non-sovereign entity secured rights to produce officially themed World Cup coinage is not documented in standard numismatic literature, and the arrangement remains opaque.

Struck in 2017 for a tournament held in 2018, the coin predates the event by design — a common practice in commemorative scheduling.