FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani stated Wednesday that any decision regarding Israel’s continued participation in international soccer must be made by UEFA, the European governing body, Reuters reported.
UEFA had been expected to hold an emergency vote this week on whether to suspend Israel from European competition due to the ongoing war in Gaza. However, according to British media reports, the vote has been postponed following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his plan aimed at ending the conflict.
Israel currently ranks third in Group I of the qualifying stage for the 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to both FIFA and UEFA calling for the suspension of the Israel Football Association.
Montagliani, who also serves as President of CONCACAF - the federation overseeing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean - emphasized that the matter falls under UEFA’s jurisdiction.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason... They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference, as quoted by Reuters. “And I respect not only their process but whatever decision they make.”
Montagliani is scheduled to attend the FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday. The agenda does not include the issue of Israel’s participation.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, when asked recently why Russia is excluded from UEFA while Israel is not, said that “this is a legitimate question."
FIFA has also dealt with requests to ban Israel in recent years, most notably from the Palestinian Authority and from Iran.
In 2024, FIFA delayed for a second time its decision on a Palestinian Authority bid to have Israel suspended from international soccer.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Yom Kippur in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)