Pressure is growing on football governing bodies to take action against Israeli national football teams in the war against Gaza.
Turkier became the first member of UEFA, the governing body of Europe for football, and publicly called for Israel to halt Israel from all football competitions as pressure rose on sports organising bodies to carry out the ongoing war in Gaza ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Ibrahim Hasiosmanoglu, president of the Turkish Football Federation, wrote to international football leaders on Friday, urging that “now it’s time for FIFA and UEFA to act.”
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“Despite their status as advocates of civic values and peace, the world of sports and the football organizations have remained silent for too long,” said Hasiosmanogur, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency in Turkiye.
“Trusted by these values, we feel compelled to raise deep concern about the illegal (and more important, completely inhumane and unacceptable) situation committed by the states of Israel in Gaza and its surrounding regions,” he added.
UEFA is moving to a vote on whether a male soccer team attempting to qualify for next year’s World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the US and Canada, will suspend Israel, on the way.
The 20-member UEFA Control Committee is expected to secure a majority to remove Israel from the game if a vote is called.
Uncertainty has grown over the apparent double standards of Israeli treatment and Russia’s treatment, and its national team was banned by both UEFA and FIFA in 2022 after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Also on Friday, a coalition of 48 well-known professional athletes called on UEFA to halt Israel from all football competitions regarding the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
French midfielder Paul Pogba and British cricketer Mohn Ali were among the 48 signers of a statement calling for the suspension of Israel, published under the Athlete 4 Peace Flag.
“As a professional athlete with diverse backgrounds, faiths and beliefs, I believe that sports must support justice, equity and the principles of humanity,” read the statement.
“We, the signatories of Athlete 4 Peace, are calling on UEFA to immediately halt Israel from all competitions until it complies with international law and ends civilian killings and widespread starvation,” the athlete added.
The statement also cited the death of Suleiman Al Obeid, known as Palestine Pele, last month. According to the Palestinian Football Association, Israeli forces were killed when they attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian assistance in southern Gaza.
Israel has been a full member of UEFA since 1994 after being expelled from the Asian Football Federation 20 years ago with a vote launched by Kuwait and supported by other Arab countries.
When he was knocked out in the group stage without winning the game, he only qualified for the One Men’s World Cup, a 1970 contest held in Mexico.
On Thursday, the US State Department said it would “have absolutely to stop efforts to ban Israeli national teams” from next year’s World Cup.
UEFA can stop Israel from participating in games related to European competitions, but it cannot stop Israel from competing in the World Cup qualifiers run by FIFA.
FIFA head Gianni Infantino has a warm relationship with President Donald Trump, who will visit US leaders at the White House in March, so it is unlikely to support his move to halt Israel.
Infantino will chair the FIFA’s Council of Control in Zurich, Switzerland next Thursday.
