The United States government will try to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from competing at the 2026 World Cup. A United Nations commission of inquiry said earlier this month that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
That has led a panel of UN experts and the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to call for sporting sanctions against the country. Next year's World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
A US State Department spokesperson told BBC Sport: We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel's national soccer team from the World Cup.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that European football's governing body UEFA - which organizes World Cup qualifying matches - could meet to decide whether to suspend Israel as early as next week.
One senior source at a European member association told BBC Sport: Our understanding is that UEFA leadership wants to see some action on this. Nothing is confirmed or scheduled. But there is a new, high-level pressure from many nations compared to just a month ago.
Israel is set to play Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo on 11 October. Earlier this month, Norwegian football federation president Lise Klaveness stated her organization has to deal with Israel participating in their competitions, but cannot and will not be indifferent to the humanitarian suffering that is taking place in the region, especially the disproportionate attacks against civilians in Gaza.
The Italian FA has also spoken about the challenges of playing Israel, who Italy host on 14 October in Udine. The UN report claims that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have occurred since the beginning of the war in 2023. A panel of human rights experts at the UN has since called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel's national team from international football, urging that sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual.
Israeli officials routinely deny that their actions in Gaza amount to genocide, defending them as necessary for self-defense. The Israeli foreign ministry has labeled the UN report as distorted and false.
Since then, continued conflicts have led to catastrophic casualties, with estimates of at least 65,419 deaths in Gaza as reported by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which is regarded by the UN and others as a reliable source of information on this matter.
An increase in calls for Israel's suspension from international competitions has surged since the UN's report, and UEFA is expected to face considerable pressure to address this soon. Regarding their position, Spanish PM Sanchez has equated Israel's situation to that of Russia by suggesting that both should be banned from international sports. Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image, said Sanchez.
With tensions mounting, protests against Israel's participation in sports have intensified. For instance, PAOK fans displayed Palestinian flags and messages condemning genocide during matches against Israeli teams, echoing the growing public sentiment urging for accountability and action against Israel on the international stage.
That has led a panel of UN experts and the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to call for sporting sanctions against the country. Next year's World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
A US State Department spokesperson told BBC Sport: We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel's national soccer team from the World Cup.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that European football's governing body UEFA - which organizes World Cup qualifying matches - could meet to decide whether to suspend Israel as early as next week.
One senior source at a European member association told BBC Sport: Our understanding is that UEFA leadership wants to see some action on this. Nothing is confirmed or scheduled. But there is a new, high-level pressure from many nations compared to just a month ago.
Israel is set to play Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo on 11 October. Earlier this month, Norwegian football federation president Lise Klaveness stated her organization has to deal with Israel participating in their competitions, but cannot and will not be indifferent to the humanitarian suffering that is taking place in the region, especially the disproportionate attacks against civilians in Gaza.
The Italian FA has also spoken about the challenges of playing Israel, who Italy host on 14 October in Udine. The UN report claims that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have occurred since the beginning of the war in 2023. A panel of human rights experts at the UN has since called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel's national team from international football, urging that sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual.
Israeli officials routinely deny that their actions in Gaza amount to genocide, defending them as necessary for self-defense. The Israeli foreign ministry has labeled the UN report as distorted and false.
Since then, continued conflicts have led to catastrophic casualties, with estimates of at least 65,419 deaths in Gaza as reported by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which is regarded by the UN and others as a reliable source of information on this matter.
An increase in calls for Israel's suspension from international competitions has surged since the UN's report, and UEFA is expected to face considerable pressure to address this soon. Regarding their position, Spanish PM Sanchez has equated Israel's situation to that of Russia by suggesting that both should be banned from international sports. Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image, said Sanchez.
With tensions mounting, protests against Israel's participation in sports have intensified. For instance, PAOK fans displayed Palestinian flags and messages condemning genocide during matches against Israeli teams, echoing the growing public sentiment urging for accountability and action against Israel on the international stage.
