The Trump administration is working to ensure Israel remains eligible to compete in international soccer ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, according to reports.
The State Department is trying to prevent Israel from being banned from competition due to the ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas terrorists, Sky News reported Thursday.
“We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup,” a State Department spokesperson told the outlet.
The Sky News report Thursday came two days after a panel of experts appointed by the U.N. said Israel should be kicked out of international soccer in reaction to the “unfolding genocide” in Gaza, Politico reported.
The experts called on FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel’s team.
Sky News previously reported European soccer officials are discussing whether Israel should be banned but no decision has been made.
FIFA has not responded to the U.N. panel’s conclusion, which was explained in a press release.
President Donald Trump last month welcomed FIFA President Gianni Infantino to the White House for a press conference to promote next year’s World Cup, which will hold matches in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
On Wednesday night, Infantino referenced the Gaza conflict while accepting the Atlantic Council Global Citizen Award in New York City. He talked about bringing people together in “a divided world, in an aggressive world.”
“I suffer when I see children suffer. I cry when I see mothers crying, whether it’s in Gaza… anywhere in the world,” said Infantino, who added there are 80 countries involved in wars.
FIFA last year began a probe into allegations of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association against the Israeli FA. There’s also an investigation into whether teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, by playing in Israeli competitions, breach FIFA regulations, Sky News reported.
Russia was banned by FIFA and UEFA as a result of the war in Ukraine.
UEFA officials previously said there was a difference in how the wars started, with Russia attacking Ukraine and Israel responding to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.
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