European soccer’s governing body will hold a decisive meeting next week to determine whether Israel will be expelled from its competitions, according to a report in the UK Times.
If a majority of UEFA’s 55 member nations vote in favor, Israel’s national team could be removed from World Cup qualifying, while Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv would be barred from the Europa League. The Times said a large majority of member countries support suspension, citing the precedent of Russia’s exclusion from international competitions after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
UEFA has previously argued there is a distinction between the two cases, saying Russia launched a war while Israel acted in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. But according to the report, momentum has shifted toward punitive action against Israel.
The Ministry of Culture and Sport said Thursday that Minister Miki Zohar has been working intensively with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Football Association chairman Shino Zuares to block the move. “The correct step now is to act responsibly with the professional bodies and not to issue declarations, and that is how all parties involved are operating,” the ministry said.
Sky News reported earlier that the Trump administration intends to intervene directly with FIFA to prevent Israel’s expulsion from international soccer. The report noted that with the 2026 World Cup set to take place largely in the United States, Washington’s influence carries particular weight.
The U.S. responded swiftly. “We will work in every way to stop any attempt to remove Israel’s national team from the World Cup. This is a red line for us,” the State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said in a statement.
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US President Donald Trump will intervene on Israel's behalf with FIFA president
(Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump, who has close ties with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has discussed the issue with him in recent days in New York, according to Sky. Infantino, who often visits the White House, was in the city this week for the UN General Assembly.
The pressure comes as UN human rights experts this week called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend all Israeli teams and national squads due to the war in Gaza. They said it was unacceptable to allow “business as usual” amid accusations of "genocide" leveled against Israel by a UN commission of inquiry, charges Israel flatly rejects.
FIFA is already investigating complaints filed by the Palestinian Football Association, including allegations of discrimination by the Israel Football Association and whether Israeli league matches in West Bank settlements violate FIFA regulations.
For now, Israel’s national team continues to compete in the World Cup qualifying campaign for the 2026 tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Next month, the Blue and Whites are scheduled to play Norway in Oslo.