Fifa set to dodge discussion on suspending Israel from international football | OneFootball

A discussion on potentially banning Israel from international football is not on the agenda for Thursday's Fifa Council meeting in Zurich, The Independent understands, meaning there can't be any vote on the issue.

Amnesty International have added to mounting pressure on football's authorities by calling for Fifa and Uefa to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA), specifically pointing to the contravention of Fifa’s own statutes due to clubs playing games on occupied land.

Fifa has repeatedly been accused of putting off action since the Palestine Football Association (PFA) first called for a Fifa sanction on the grounds of human rights and humanitarian law violations committed in the Gaza Strip in April 2024.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry issued a report this month concluding that Israel has committed genocide during the war in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide.

It comes amid a widespread belief that president Gianni Infantino does not want to politically aggravate US president Donald Trump ahead of next year's World Cup. The US state department have said they will push back against any attempts to ban Israel.

Senior Uefa figures wanted to push for a meeting of its executive committee to decide on a ban this week, but that has been postponed due to Trump's attempts to negotiate a peace deal.

The president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, and the president of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, have added to the calls to ban Israel from international competitions by writing to Fifa and Uefa.

But while proposals to ban Israel have been a subject of intense discussion within Uefa, it hasn't got anywhere close to that with Fifa.

Infantino is seen as being "in a difficult spot" due to his relationship with Trump, but also how close he is to Asian Football Confederation countries who would support a ban for Israel.

It is possible the Israel ban comes up at Thursday's Fifa Council meeting in "miscellaneous" - but that can only involve an informal discussion, and not a vote.

The gathering of Fifa's highest body will primarily take place in Zurich, although it will be a hybrid meeting, with some delegates phoning in.

The issue of a 64-team World Cup in 2030 is not expected to be discussed, after the South American governing body Conmebol raised an official proposal to expand the competition from the first 48-team World Cup in 2026.