UEFA will meet next week to decide whether to suspend Israel and its clubs from international competitions, according to a report from The Times. Most members of the executive committee are said to be leaning toward suspension, following a public call from eight United Nations experts earlier this week.
Among those experts was Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, who urged both FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli national team as a response to what they described as “the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Those in favor of suspension point to the precedent of Russia’s exclusion from UEFA competitions since 2022, following its invasion of Ukraine. The same principle, they argue, should apply to Israel.
A UEFA suspension would not automatically extend to FIFA. However, the decision could create major complications for FIFA as Israel is currently competing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, sitting third in its group behind Norway and Italy.
On the club level, Maccabi Tel Aviv is the only Israeli team participating in UEFA tournaments this season. The club has already faced significant protests, most recently in Greece during its match against PAOK.
UEFA’s Current Position
So far, UEFA has made limited public comments. Back in August, the organization displayed a banner condemning the killing of civilians and children during the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur. However, it did not explicitly mention Israel in that statement.
The controversy deepened after the death of Suleiman al-Obeid, a soccer player known as the “Palestinian Pelé.” When UEFA acknowledged his passing without providing details, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah criticized the organization on social media, asking: “Can you tell us how, where, and why he died?” A report from the Palestinian Football Association later claimed that Al-Obeid was killed by Israeli military forces in Gaza while he was waiting for humanitarian aid.
What the UN experts are demanding
The UN experts emphasized that any boycott or suspension should target the Israeli state, not individual players. They stressed that athletes should not face discrimination or sanctions simply due to their nationality.
Instead, they argue that national teams representing states accused of massive human rights violations can and should be suspended, as has occurred in previous cases. If UEFA moves forward, Israel’s exclusion would mark one of the most politically sensitive decisions in soccer in recent memory.