FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football “cannot solve geopolitical problems” as calls grow for Israel to be suspended over the conflict in Gaza.
In a statement following a FIFA Council meeting, the world football governing body said Infantino “stressed the importance of promoting peace and unity, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Gaza.”
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino said.
“Our thoughts are with all those suffering in conflicts across the globe, and the most important message football can send right now is one of peace and unity.”
He continued: “FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural, and humanitarian values.”
The comments come as pressure mounts on FIFA and UEFA to exclude Israel from international competitions, echoing the ban imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia, which had hosted the World Cup just four years earlier, was swiftly suspended following the invasion.
In 2024, FIFA commissioned a legal review of a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel over the Gaza war, showing that the issue is already embedded in FIFA’s governance processes.
