FIFA says banning 'Israel' cannot solve geopolitical problems

The head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has rejected growing calls to suspend ‘Israel’s’ football federation, saying sports organizations "cannot solve geopolitical problems." 

"Fifa cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values," Fifa president Gianni Infantino said. 

Read more: UN slams 'Israel'-claimed safe zones in Gaza as “farcical”

The statement comes amid mounting pressure from independent UN experts and European football associations demanding ‘Israel’s’ sporting isolation over its offensive in Gaza.

A letter sent to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin on Thursday described a ban on ‘Israel’ as “imperative,” citing a UN report confirming that ‘Israel’ is carrying out a genocide against Palestinians. 

The letter urged the football governing body and its members to “fulfil their legal and moral obligations to uphold international law, and move forward with an immediate and complete ban of Israeli football.”

It also highlighted the impact on the sport in Gaza, noting that at least 421 Palestinian footballers have been killed since ‘Israel’ launched its offensive in October 2023.

The letter added that the ‘Israeli’ bombing campaign is “systematically destroying Gaza’s football infrastructure.”