FIFA on Thursday fined the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) for discrimination, racist abuse, and violations of fair play but declined to act on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel from international football over clubs operating in West Bank settlements.
In a separate statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino dismissed Iran’s efforts to relocate its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, saying the tournament is set “to go ahead as scheduled.”
Thursday’s announcement addressed two petitions from the Palestinian Football Federation, underscoring FIFA’s disciplinary stance against Israel while leaving broader suspension demands unresolved.
Three FIFA judges held the Israeli federation responsible for “tolerance of politicized and militaristic messaging within football contexts,” notably by fans of Beitar Jerusalem, and the “systemic exclusion of Palestinians from football infrastructure in Israeli settlements.”
The disciplinary verdict, judged last August, was announced after a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council chaired by Infantino, who said the organization maintains peaceful goals amid a month of World Cup planning turmoil and conflict in the Middle East.
The Palestinian federation has urged FIFA to act against Israel for supporting clubs from settlement communities in the West Bank that participate in the national league.
FIFA’s council decided Thursday, on advice from the governing body’s governance panel, not to act on formal Palestinian complaints in 2024, including a request to suspend Israel’s membership.
Palestinian officials have long argued, including at FIFA annual congresses over the past 15 years, that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from West Bank settlements to play in the national league.
“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,” the football body said.
Infantino reiterated FIFA is not moving toward granting Iran’s request to move the team’s three World Cup group games in June from the United States to Mexico.
Iranian government and football officials said they do not want to boycott the World Cup but cannot enter the United States because of military attacks on their country by Israel and the U.S. since Feb. 28.
The team is scheduled to play two games at the Los Angeles Rams stadium in Inglewood and one in Seattle.
“We have a schedule,” Infantino said Thursday about the World Cup fixtures announced in December. “We want the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled.”
No team has refused a World Cup entry since the 1950 edition, a 13-team event in Brazil held amid lingering global chaos after World War II. It would be unprecedented in modern World Cup history for a team’s schedule to be changed after the draw for political reasons.
“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts,” Infantino said, noting he presented his close ally U.S. President Donald Trump with a specially created peace prize at the World Cup draw in December.
“But we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace, as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” he said.
The disciplinary investigation of Israeli football was opened 18 months ago in response to a second objection by the Palestinian federation.
The fine is 50,000 Swiss francs ($63,000) less than penalties imposed on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s football federation for misconduct by fans at World Cup qualifying games in November.
FIFA disciplinary judges upheld charges against Israeli football for institutional discrimination and cited offensive social media comments by senior officials.
“The conduct of the IFA, in failing to take meaningful action against Beitar Jerusalem FC, a club whose supporters have engaged in persistent and well-documented racist behavior, constitutes a clear violation,” the FIFA disciplinary panel said.
One-third of the fine must be spent by Israeli officials on “implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”
“The plan shall be approved by FIFA and shall focus on the following areas: reforms, protocols, monitoring, and educational campaigns in stadiums and on official channels for an entire season,” FIFA judges said.
Judges noted they “cannot remain indifferent to the broader human context in which football operates” and that the sport “must remain a platform for peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.”
