FIFA is not an independent sporting organisation; it is a political tool.
Football fans around the world are only now finding
out what Palestinians have long known.
A political scientist.
Published On 11 Jul 2026
This World Cup has increasingly put FIFA and its
leadership under scrutiny. Its decision to overturn the suspension of an
American football player after US President Donald Trump’s intervention has
roiled fans around the world. Meanwhile, there have been accusations of
referees favouring Argentina in their decisions during games against Egypt and
Cape Verde.
In Palestine, we have seen and experienced FIFA’s
corrupt nature for years. Despite its statute explicitly requiring the
organisation to respect human rights, it has systematically failed to do that when it has
come to Palestinian football.
It has repeatedly refused demands from the Palestinian
Football Association (PFA) to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA)
for allowing its league games to be played on occupied and stolen Palestinian
land by teams that reside in illegal settlements.
It has not condemned the mass killing and maiming of
Palestinian football players or demanded the release of detained football
players – most recently Rand Halawani and Natalie Abu Dayyeh, members of the
Palestinian women’s football team. It has not protested against the destruction
of Palestinian football stadiums. It has done nothing to force Israel to
abandon the various policies that restrict and undermine Palestinian football,
including denying Palestinian teams travel permits.
FIFA has not just tolerated and normalised racism,
apartheid and occupation, but it has also taken part in efforts to congratulate
the participation of Israeli footballers in war crimes in Gaza or Lebanon.
Despite the repeated rulings by the International
Court of Justice and various UN resolutions, FIFA continues to claim that
Palestinian demands are “a highly complex matter under
public international law” and
that “the final legal status of the West Bank remains unresolved”. This is
nothing short of endorsing Israeli talking points, embraced by the Trump
administration to shield its ally Israel and legitimise the theft of
Palestinian land.
Just as Israel has made use of tourism, archaeology,
religion, agriculture and others to normalise its illegal annexation, it has
also done so through football – with FIFA’s support.
FIFA’s contribution to Israeli crimes has expanded
under the presidency of Gianni Infantino. Human rights organisations have
rightly referred Infantino’s actions to the International Criminal Court,
accusing him of acting “in full knowledge that these practices constitute the
commission of human rights violations, apartheid and war crimes” and ignoring
multiple reports and letters on the subject.
The FIFA leadership has not only been silent and
passive about Israel’s crimes and IFA’s involvement, it has also actively
participated in their whitewashing. Last month, FIFA suggested that Palestine
should play Israel as the opening match in a U-15 tournament to “promote
peace”. Weeks earlier, Infantino personally tried to force the head of the PFA
to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart.
FIFA is clearly no longer a neutral international
sporting federation, which per its statute should avoid any political
interference. It has been turned into a political tool that supports the
foreign policy of the US and its allies.
Infantino himself is a great illustration of this
reality. In 2018, for no apparent reason, he attended the official signing of
the Abraham Accords in Washington – an agreement that in effect sought to
remove the Palestinian question from the collective Arab agenda. In 2021, he
participated in a conference of the right-wing Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem
Post, held in a venue built on the desecrated Muslim cemetery of Mamillah in
Jerusalem.
In February, Infantino attended the inauguration of
the controversial “Board of Peace”, which seeks to end the UN’s involvement in
the Palestinian question and stop any international legal effort to end the
Israeli occupation and genocide. He even announced a “strategic partnership to
drive recovery and peace through football” with the board.
The ongoing controversies over the organisation of the
World Cup should be understood in this context. FIFA has clearly lost control
over its independent decision-making as an international sporting organisation
and has abdicated from its responsibility to keep politics out of football.
When asked about the various violations the US has
committed as a host against footballers, referees and fans, Infantino told the
public that they should “chill, relax”.
All of this is incredibly damaging to public trust in
international organisations like FIFA. It is also harmful for international
football and to its reputation as a sport inclusive of all. If Infantino does
not radically change his path, the legacy he will leave behind is one of
destruction.
As for Palestinian football, it will persevere. The
sport has existed since the creation of St George’s School team in Jerusalem in
1904. Since then, football has been part of every moment of Palestinian life.
And like all things Palestinian, it has the strength to survive an occupation,
a genocide and a corrupt FIFA.
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