The fallout from the International Olympic Committee’s decision to bar Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics on Tuesday quickly spilled into another of the planet’s most popular sporting events, the soccer World Cup.

Russia is due to host the five-week tournament in 11 cities around the country next June and July, giving FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, an awkward problem. How can it reconcile Russia’s status as an Olympic pariah with its place as a showcase for international soccer?

FIFA’s...