UEFA is reportedly preparing for an emergency vote next week on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions, as national federations jockey for position amid mounting political pressure.
The crisis intensified this week after United Nations experts called for Israel’s suspension from international football in response to the ongoing violence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
A source confirmed that Europe’s governing football body could decide as soon as next week whether to move forward with a ban.
If UEFA votes to suspend Israel, it could trigger a clash with the U.S. government, co-host of the 2026 World Cup, which has strongly opposed such action.
“We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel's national soccer team from the World Cup,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Sky News.
Even though UEFA has the power to suspend Israel or its clubs from European competitions, it may not be able to block them from World Cup qualifiers, which fall under the jurisdiction of the global football body FIFA.
The general secretaries of all UEFA national associations are meeting this week in Marbella. Israel is not officially on the agenda, but officials expect UEFA to call an emergency vote next week.
FIFA did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, and UEFA declined to comment.
Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub said Israelis should not be allowed to participate in any matches, whether under UEFA or FIFA.
“Israel has violated the principles, values, and FIFA statutes. Therefore, I believe Israel should be sanctioned,” Rajoub told TV2. “The sanctions should come from UEFA and FIFA.”
Israel’s national team is set to face Norway and Italy, the top two teams in their World Cup qualifying group, next month.
“We don’t have any indications that we are facing such an act (UEFA suspension),” a spokesperson for the Israel Football Association told Reuters. “We are focusing on our international matches against Norway and Italy.”
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the Norwegian Football Federation is one of the member associations pushing for a meeting on Israel. The NFF declined to comment.
Lise Klaveness, NFF president and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, has also spoken out on the crisis in Gaza ahead of her country’s home game against Israel on Oct. 11.
“Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time,” Klaveness said last month. “We want to donate the proceeds from the game to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground.”
The Dutch Football Federation said it has no information about a vote to suspend Israel. “As soon as the football association receives a message about this, it will take a position,” the KNVB told Dutch outlet NOS.
Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be banned from international sports competitions.
Officials from the Spanish Football Federation have kept a low profile on the matter.
Israel maintains its war is not against Gaza’s population but against the Hamas group, whose members carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, triggering the war.
The subsequent fighting in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 people, according to local health authorities.
