European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, is preparing to vote on whether to suspend Israel from international competition due to the ongoing war in Gaza, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Informed officials told stated that a majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is likely to support the move, which would prevent Israeli national and club teams from participating in competitions, including World Cup qualifiers.
Israel’s men’s team is scheduled to face Norway and Italy in away matches in two weeks.
Calls to exclude Israel from global sports have grown louder as international criticism of its military campaign intensifies. Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged Israel’s ban from international competitions, likening the situation to Russia’s exclusion after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Human rights groups and some UEFA members have echoed the demand, with banners reading “Stop Killing Children” and “Stop Genocide in Gaza” appearing at stadiums in recent weeks.
The debate is expected to stretch beyond UEFA. FIFA’s ruling council, which includes eight UEFA members, meets in Zurich next week to discuss the issue. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s close ties with Donald Trump whose administration has openly backed Israel cast doubt on whether the world soccer body will endorse a ban. The US State Department has already pledged to resist any efforts to exclude Israel from the 2026 World Cup, hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Israel’s sports minister Miki Zohar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and soccer federation president Moshe Zuares are reportedly lobbying behind the scenes to prevent expulsion. “The right step now is to act responsibly with the professionals and not to make statements,” Zohar’s office said Thursday.
The issue is increasingly polarising within European soccer. Norway’s federation has promised to donate ticket revenues from its October 11 qualifier against Israel to Gaza aid, while Italy’s Gabriele Gravina and Norway’s Lise Klaveness both UEFA executive committee members have voiced unease about playing Israeli teams. Still, no European nation has refused to play Israel outright, unlike the widespread boycotts seen against Russia in 2022.
The growing momentum for suspension reflects Israel’s mounting diplomatic isolation. A UN inquiry has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza an allegation Israel rejects as “distorted and false.” Meanwhile, protests at UEFA-organised matches, including last night’s Europa League clash between Maccabi Tel Aviv and PAOK in Greece, underscore the rising pressure on football authorities to act.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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