United Nations experts ask FIFA, UEFA to suspend Israel as 'necessary response' to conflict in Palestine

A group of United Nations experts called upon FIFA and UEFA on Tuesday to suspend Israel from international competition, arguing the action is a "necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" amid the Israel-Hamas War.

The experts said the suspension should target state teams rather than individual athletes to avoid discrimination based on nationality. Currently, Israel's men's national team is taking part in UEFA's World Cup qualification tournament ahead of the 2026 World Cup hosted in North America, while Maccabi Tel Aviv qualified for this season's edition of the UEFA Europa League and begin playing league phase games on Wednesday.

"Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual," the experts said in a statement. "Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalize injustices."

The experts are advocating for a ban upon the conclusion of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, which wrapped up ahead of this week's United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. FIFA and UEFA have both a moral and legal obligation to act, the experts argued, because of international human rights law that is in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

"They must fulfill their obligations not to provide aid or assistance that would help maintain the situation created by Israel's illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the experts said. "We support the calls for action that aim to encourage the implementation of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice and impose consequences on the State of Israel for breaching international law."

Eight United Nations experts are cited in Tuesday's call to action: Alexandra Xanthaki, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; K.P. Ashwini, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967; and Pichamon Yeophantong (Chairperson), Damilola Olawuyi (Vice-Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Lyra Jakulevičienė and Robert McCorquodale, Working Group on business and human rights.

The UN experts are the latest to call upon FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel because of their conduct during the Israel-Hamas War, which would not mark the first time a country received such punishment. Both FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia in February 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine, with Russian teams still ineligible for international competition. In February of this year, meanwhile, FIFA banned the Congolese Football Federation for third-party interference in its operations and the Pakistan Football Federation for its inability to adopt a revision to its constitution that would enable "truly fair and democratic elections."

FIFA has fielded multiple requests to suspend Israel from international competition over the years, most notably when the Palestinian Football Association did so at the annual FIFA Congress in May 2024, the first such meeting since the Israel-Hamas War began in October 2023. The organization said at the time it would seek independent legal advice and in October 2024, FIFA announced the start of two investigations. One will focus on the PFA's accusation of discrimination by the Israel Football Association and the other will look into the claim that Israeli teams operate in land that belongs to Palestine.

UEFA's executive council next meets on Dec. 3 in Nyon, Switzerland, while the next meeting of the FIFA Congress will be on April 30, 2026 in Vancouver, Canada.,

The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to CBS News, though did not say how many were civilians or combatants. The United Nations considers the Health Ministry's figures as the most reliable estimate of casualties during the war.