Amid international pressure over the conflict in Gaza, Donald Trump's administration seeks to ensure the participation of the Israeli national team in the upcoming World Cup
According to them, the boycott "should be directed at the State of Israel and not at individual players," and they pointed out that "national teams representing states that commit massive human rights violations can and should be suspended, as has happened in the past."
United States announced that it will intervene to ensure Israel is not suspended from the 2026 World Cup, which will be organized together with Mexico and Canada. The decision comes amid strong international pressure on FIFA and UEFA to ban the Israeli national team due to the conflict in Gaza.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the BBC that they will work to "completely stop any attempt to ban Israel's football team from participating in the World Cup." This support is considered key to ensuring a successful tournament and facilitating visa management for players, officials, and fans.
The intervention responds to a call from eight UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who called for Israel to be excluded from international competitions in response to the alleged "ongoing genocide."
Meanwhile, UEFA is preparing for a vote that could suspend Israeli teams from European competitions, and, according to sources from the Associated Press agency, the majority of the executive committee would support this measure.
The Israeli national team will resume its path to the 2026 World Cup in two weeks, with key away matches against Norway and Italy during the October FIFA window. Currently, it is third in Group I, tied on points with the Azzurri (2nd with 9, but with a better goal difference and one game less) and 6 points behind the Norwegians (1st with 15 points).
With 9 points at stake, it will seek to compete for second place with the Italians for a spot in the play-offs that will determine the last four qualifiers for the next World Cup.
