US vows to block any attempt to ban Israel from 2026 World Cup
The United States government has pledged to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from competing at the 2026 World Cup.
Earlier this month, a United Nations commission of inquiry said that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The report prompted a panel of UN experts and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call for sporting sanctions against Israel.
Next year’s World Cup will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
A US State Department spokesperson told BBC Sport: “We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national football team from the World Cup.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest that European football’s governing body UEFA, which organises World Cup qualifying matches, could meet as early as next week to decide whether to suspend Israel.
One senior source at a European member association told BBC Sport: “Our understanding is that UEFA leadership wants to see some action on this. Nothing is confirmed or scheduled. But there is new, high-level pressure from many nations compared to just a month ago.”
Israel are set to play Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo on 11 October.
Earlier this month, Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness said her organisation “has to deal with Israel participating in their competitions, but cannot and will not be indifferent to the humanitarian suffering that is taking place in the region, especially the disproportionate attacks against civilians in Gaza.”
The Italian FA has also highlighted the challenges of playing Israel, who Italy will host on 14 October in Udine.
The UN report stated there were reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law had been carried out since the start of the war in 2023.
A panel of UN human rights experts subsequently called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel’s national team from international football, saying: “Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual.”
Israel has consistently denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, asserting they are justified as a means of self-defence. Its foreign ministry described the UN report as “distorted and false.”
