Africa-Press – Lesotho. As calls to suspend Israel from international football grow louder, former U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to intervene to prevent any exclusion from FIFA or UEFA competitions.
The controversy comes as the war in Gaza continues, and accusations of double standards are intensifying against the sport’s top governing bodies.
Infantino’s balancing act
At the FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, Gianni Infantino called for “peace” in Gaza while insisting that FIFA “cannot solve geopolitical problems.” The statement, seen as a gesture to both Jerusalem and Washington, failed to calm criticism. Many recall that Russia was banned from all competitions within 48 hours of invading Ukraine, while Israel faces no sanctions despite reports of mass civilian casualties in Gaza. Several football associations, including those of Norway, Spain, and South Africa, have urged FIFA to act. UN experts have also called for Israel’s suspension, arguing that sports bodies must not ignore serious human rights violations.
The Norwegian federation, led by Lise Klaveness, reignited the debate by declaring, “If Russia was excluded, Israel should be too.” Her comments came ahead of the Norway-Israel match set for October 11, which will take place in a climate of growing tension. UEFA and FIFA, however, continue to delay any concrete decision, referring the matter to internal committees—a tactic critics say echoes past corruption-era evasions.
Trump’s diplomatic offensive
Donald Trump has taken a clear stance. Through the State Department, his administration warned that it “will do everything to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from the World Cup.” Washington fears that such a move could spark a diplomatic crisis just months before the 2026 World Cup draw, scheduled to take place in the U.S. For Trump, defending Israel remains both a political priority and a message to his electoral base. According to multiple sources, the White House has already warned FIFA that excluding Israel would be seen as a “political attack against a U.S. ally.”
Meanwhile, human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Fair Square accuse the Israeli Football Association of violating FIFA’s own statutes by hosting matches on occupied land and ignoring racist incidents. As pressure mounts ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Infantino faces one of the most sensitive challenges of his tenure: balancing FIFA’s apolitical image with the moral and legal expectations of the global football community.
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