FIFA has made it clear that it will not remove Israel from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, despite pressure from some football leaders and fans.
The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, said on Thursday that the world football body cannot fix political or geographical conflicts. Instead, FIFA’s main role is to encourage peace, unity, and the growth of football worldwide.
Infantino explained this after a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council, where the situation with Israel was not on the official agenda.
This comes as calls have grown stronger in recent months for Israeli teams to be suspended, following the two-year conflict in Gaza.
However, those demands slowed down earlier this week after U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a peace proposal at the White House.
“FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems,” Infantino said. “But it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural, and humanitarian values.”
Israel is preparing to play its next World Cup qualifying matches in Europe. They will face Norway in Oslo on October 11 and then play against Italy in Udine on October 14.
This decision has drawn mixed reactions from football fans and officials.
Some argue that sports should remain separate from politics, while others believe FIFA should take stronger action against countries involved in conflicts.
For now, FIFA is standing firm on its position that football should continue as a tool for bringing people together, even in times of international crisis.