UEFA members 'favor' suspending Israel from European football

Calls have been growing in the footballing world to kick the Israeli team out of the sport over the genocide in Gaza

By MEE staff

Published date: 25 September 2025 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uefa-members-favour-suspending-israel-european-football

Most of the members of Uefa's executive committee are in favour of suspending Israel from European football, the Times reports, as pressure mounts on sporting bodies to take action over the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. 

A meeting of Europe's governing football federation, which consists of the national football associations of 55 countries, will be held next week to decide on the matter.

On Tuesday, UN experts called for the suspension of the Israeli team from international football after a panel found it to be committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual,” the UN experts said.

“Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalise injustices.”

Critics have also noted that Russia has been suspended from Fifa, world football's governing body, and Uefa tournaments since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Uefa previously made a seeming protest against Israel during the European Super Cup final in August between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.

“Stop Killing Children, Stop Killing Civilians," a banner displayed before the match read, an apparent condemnation of Israel's targeting of children.

US support for Israel

Possible action by Uefa against Israel will increase pressure on Fifa to act but the world football governing body faces pressure from the US, which has backed Israel during its genocide, to not implement sanctions.

Earlier, the US said it will intervene to prevent Israel from being sanctioned by Fifa ahead of the World Cup due to be held in the US, Mexico and Canada in 2026.

A US State Department spokesperson told Sky News that the US would "absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel's national soccer team from the World Cup."

Israel's national team is still in the running to qualify for the tournament but faces a threat of being barred over the state's ongoing genocide.

Since its war in Gaza began, Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of athletes, including prominent Palestinian footballers.

In August it killed former Palestinian international footballer Suleiman al-Obeid while he was trying to secure aid.

Obeid played 24 times for the national team and earned the accolade the “Palestinian Pele” for a style that resembled the Brazilian legend.

Israeli soldiers and foreign security contractors have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians at aid distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US-backed food distribution operation that replaced aid distribution networks run by the UN and humanitarian groups.