Amid controversy that Israel continues to compete on the international football stage, UEFA are reportedly set to make a decision next week about whether to suspend the Israeli national team. The report has claimed that the majority of the members of its executive committee are in favour of banning Ran Ben Shimon’s side.
As of September 2025, Russia are the only nation – from a footballing perspective – facing a ban from competing in major international competition. That said, the likes of former Manchester United striker Eric Cantona have pleaded with competition organisers to strip Israel of the privilege of playing at the 2026 World Cup.
“I played for France and Manchester United. I know that international football is more than just sport, it is culture, it is political, it is soft power,” he said, per The Mirror, before adding they should be banned from travelling to north America next summer.
“In a way that a country represents itself on a global stage, the time has come to suspend Israel from that privilege. Four days after Russia started a war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia. We are not 716 days into what Amnesty International have called a genocide – and yet Israel continue to be allowed to participate.”
Recently, an eight-person United Nations panel called on FIFA and UEFA to ban Israel after their Commission of Inquiry, which includes no English members after David Gill stepped down in April 2025, concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. And now UEFA are set to make a decision over whether to spend Israel.
According to sources, per The Times, UEFA are poised to make a final decision next week with a large chunk of their advisors being in favour of a suspension rather than letting them play at next summer’s international showpiece should they progress from Group I, which they currently sit third in after five matches.
The report suggests that those figures in favour of the ban have pointed out that Russia has been banned from competing in Europe since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Recently, reports suggested that the Spanish government were considering whether to withdraw Luis de le Fuente’s La Roja, who are among the competition favourites, from the 2026 World Cup if Israel were still allowed to rub shoulders with some of the world’s greatest footballing nations.
As things stand, Israel – who are keen to book themselves a spot in the 24th instalment of the World Cup – are currently six points off Group I table toppers Norway and are joint on points with Italy, a nation that beat them 5-4 recently. Amid calls for them to be slapped with a worldwide suspension from football, they have three qualifying matches left.
Donald Trump Will Work to Prevent Israel Getting Banned
Someone that is against banning Israel from competing at the World Cup next summer is United States President Donald Trump, whose close relationship with FIFA figurehead Gianni Infantino could complicate matters when it comes to making a decision. As reported by Rob Harris, a spokesperson from Marco Rubio’s state department told Sky News:
“We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.”
FIFA are yet to respond to the UN’s plea that the Israeli national team should be suspended from footballing competition. Infantino, however, has said that it is difficult to sanction countries involved in conflict but, in a speech in New York, he added: “I suffer when I see children suffer, I cry when I see mothers crying, whether it’s in Gaza… anywhere in the world.”