Sipu Jha
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the mounting pressure to suspend Israel amid the Palestinian conflict during a FIFA Council meeting.The FIFA Council discussed the situation in Gaza, emphasising the importance of promoting peace and unity through football. “At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino said.“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.“FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”A meeting took place between Infantino and Palestinian Football Association (PFA) chief Jibril Rajoub at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.Rajoub also met with International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry in Lausanne the previous day.Infantino shared on Instagram: “I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time.”FIFA’s statement and Infantino’s social media post did not mention Israel or its football federation, despite calls to exclude the team from international competitions.The situation draws comparisons to FIFA’s ban on Russia in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, despite Russia hosting the World Cup in 2018.Norwegian Football Federation head Lise Klaveness expressed her opinion: “Personally, I think if Russia is out, Israel should be out too. That is my personal opinion.”Norway is scheduled to play Israel in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Oslo on October 11.In the current qualifying group standings, Norway leads with 15 points, while Israel shares nine points with Italy in second place.
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