Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup could become contested in Europe. According to a report by the Associated Press, UEFA is moving towards a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza.
Report: UEFA vote to suspend Israel could be imminent
Israel could see their World Cup qualifying road meet an abrupt end
The AP reports that a majority of Europe’s governing soccer confederation will support any vote to suspend Israeli teams from international play. That would include both the Israel national teams and any club teams. A vote to suspend Israel from UEFA would mean that Israel would be banned from World Cup qualifying and would prevent the team from participating in any international tournaments, including the World Cup.
Currently, Israel is competing in World Cup qualifying in Group I alongside Norway, Italy, Moldova, and Estonia. With three matches remaining, Israel sits in third place in the group with qualifying resuming in just under 2 weeks. Israel has already been forced by UEFA to play their home games at Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary due to safety concerns and have one more home match remaining in November. If a vote to suspend comes before the October international window, Israel would be immediately removed from World Cup qualifying, with those matches being canceled.
The move would also mean Israeli clubs couldn’t compete in European competitions. Currently, Maccabi Tel Aviv is competing in the UEFA Europa League, having drawn their first match against Greek side PAOK. Their next match is scheduled for October 2nd when they host Dinamo Zagreb. Maccabi Tel Aviv, also prohibited from hosting matches at their home stadium, will play all home matches during the Europa League’s league phase at TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia.
There have been increasing calls to suspend Israel from soccer and other sports due to its military campaign in Gaza and the tens of thousands of civilians who have been killed. Spain and Norway have been among the most vocal proponent for UEFA to do something, and other countries have accused Israel of committing genocide in their military strikes on Gaza. Even UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin allowed banners saying “Stop Killing Children” and “Stop Killing Civilians” to be displayed prominently before last month’s UEFA Super Cup in Italy between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, showing the world that UEFA might be ready to take punitive action.
If UEFA does move to suspend Israel and ban them from international play, there will likely be some pushback from others. The AP reports that it’s unclear whether FIFA would also move to suspend Israel, as they have done with Russia when both UEFA and the world’s soccer governing body banned the country from international competition in 2022. Israel’s close relationship with the United States and President Donald Trump - who has a close friendship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino - will complicate any efforts to suspend Israel from world competitions. The U.S. State Department has been on record to say that the administration ”will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.” Despite the State Department’s claim, Israel already had their work cut out for them to qualify, as they are tied with Italy with the Azzurri having a match in hand. The top team in Group I would qualify directly for the World Cup, with the group runner-up moving to the UEFA World Cup playoffs in March. Israel’s next two matches are important road qualifiers in two weeks against first place Norway and Italy.
While no teams have refused to play Israel to date, Norway has pledged to donate the profits from ticket sales of their home match against Israel on October 11th to Doctors Without Borders to assist their humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Italy has also expressed uneasiness at their upcoming match against Israel. If UEFA decides to vote in the next couple of weeks to suspend Israel, the pressure will mount on FIFA to make a decision as World Cup qualifying resumes.
