Uefa’s shifting stance on Israel sets up potential clash with Fifa and Trump | OneFootball

The Uefa leadership is working to convene an executive committee meeting “as soon as possible” over whether to decide on suspending its member federation Israel over the war in Gaza, with senior figures pushing for a ban.

The escalation comes after a United Nations panel called on football’s authorities to “suspend Israel as a country team from international football, as a necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory”.

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The Israel team before playing France in last season’s Uefa Nations League (Getty)

It is understood this has prompted some prominent football leaders to act on long-held considerations over whether the game should take a stance on Israel, in an issue that could well lead to a governance crisis in the sport and potentially a geopolitical clash between Uefa and Fifa.

The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, could be forced to make a decision that tests his relationship with US president Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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The US state department has said it would move to block a ban on Israel ahead of the 2026 World Cup (Getty)

Although no Uefa meeting is currently scheduled, and the issue hasn’t been brought up at recent meetings, this has significantly changed in the last 48 hours. Many involved have argued about what they see as the contradiction of banning Russian teams following the invasion of Ukraine, but not Israel.

The main reason that Uefa and Fifa have not acted is because football’s authorities don’t generally like to take stances on geopolitical issues and conflicts, for fear of then having to adjudicate on any comparable situation around the world, to go with the idea that national teams are generally seen as representing their country rather than the current state.

The difference with Russia was that countries refused to play imminent World Cup qualifiers against them back in 2022, forcing a decision and a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

That is now potentially changing as regards Israel. While Uefa member associations generally take their lead from their governments on such stances, many have started to shift positions over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where an unprecedented Israeli bombardment and siege have led the UN-backed global monitor to declare famine and a UN commission of enquiry to conclude genocide is being committed. The Israeli government has vehemently denied these charges.

The Independent has been told that numerous football associations and executive members would now support a ban, or at least be willing to discuss it.

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Banners reading ‘Stop killing children. Stop killing civilians’ were displayed before the Uefa Super Cup match between Tottenham and PSG last month (Reuters)

As well as a significant geopolitical and football story of its own right, the situation is seen as another that brings together many of the wider forces affecting football.

Some senior sources already say that they feel the issue has been brought into a communications war between Israel and Qatar. The most powerful club body, the European Club Association, has a seat on the Uefa executive committee, and its guidelines are clear that it follows the governing bodies.

Many football stakeholders have nevertheless been pointing to how the ECA chair, Nasser al-Khelaifi, is one of the most prominent figures in Qatar and ultimately answerable to the current Emir, with whom he has long been close. Al-Khelaifi also has a friendship with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. Sources close to the Qatar leadership have meanwhile denied Israeli media reports that the state has put pressure on Uefa.

On the other side, any Uefa suspension or ban would put pressure on Fifa to make a decision, which could in turn test Infantino’s relationship with Trump. That could potentially cause a governance crisis in the game.

If Uefa does indeed take the decision to suspend or ban Israel, numerous sources state that Fifa would be highly unlikely to follow suit.

This is due to both Infantino’s relationship with Trump and the need to keep the US administration onside ahead of a costly and logistically complicated World Cup, which is also set to be highly lucrative.

A US state department spokesman told Sky News: “We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.”

If Uefa did ban and Fifa didn’t, however, Israel might still be able to play the 2026 qualifiers. This is due to the fact it is a Fifa tournament, even though Uefa organise the qualifiers.

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Italy playing against Israel in Udine last October in a Uefa Nations League match (Getty)

A case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport could well follow, as it did when several European nations refused to play Russia, particularly if Uefa countries then take the decision to refuse to play Israel.

Israel are due to play away to Norway on 11 October and then away to Italy on 14 October, adding further pressure to the situation.

Some of the Norway players are known to have had strong feelings about facing Israel in their 4-2 victory back in March. Norway’s federation have already announced they will donate proceeds from the game to humanitarian aid in Gaza, but there is now a possibility the match does not take place.

A further football-relevant motivator is how the Palestinian FA has estimated that over 400 players have been killed over the course of the war, with Uefa itself receiving criticism for a commemoration of former Palestine international Suleiman Obeid that did not mention the context of how he died.

Israel has been a member of Uefa since 1994, due to the refusal of Asian Football Confederation nations to play them.

They are third in the 2026 World Cup qualifying group I, six points behind leaders Norway and level with Italy on nine points, albeit with a game more played.

Runners-up in the group receive a play-off place for the tournament. Israel’s three wins so far have come against Estonia and Moldova, with two over the former.