A collective of United Nations experts has requested that FIFA and UEFA suspend Israel from international sporting events, arguing that this measure is a necessary step in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory brought on by the Israel-Hamas War.

The experts emphasized that the suspension should focus on state teams, thus avoiding discrimination based on the nationality of individual athletes. Presently, Israel’s men’s national team is engaged in UEFA’s World Cup qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup in North America, while Maccabi Tel Aviv has qualified for the current season’s UEFA Europa League, commencing league phase games on Wednesday.

“Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual,” the experts stated in a public announcement. “Sporting organizations should not ignore severe human rights abuses, particularly when their platforms can be used to normalize injustices.”

They are advocating for this suspension following the conclusion of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was completed just ahead of the current United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. Both FIFA and UEFA hold a moral and legal responsibility to respond, the experts reasoned, citing international human rights laws that align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

“They must meet their obligations to refrain from providing assistance that might maintain the situation established by Israel’s illegal activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” they continued. “We support actions which aim to facilitate the execution of the Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice and impose accountability on Israel for transgressions against international law.”

Eight UN experts signed this call for action, including:

• Alexandra Xanthaki, __________Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights;
• K.P. Ashwini, __________Special Rapporteur on issues relating to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance;
• Francesca Albanese, __________Special Rapporteur on human rights situations in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967; and Pichamon Yeophantong (Chairperson), Damilola Olawuyi (Vice-Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Lyra Jakulevičienė, and Robert McCorquodale of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

The United Nations experts are the latest group urging FIFA and UEFA to impose sanctions on Israel due to its actions amid the Israel-Hamas War, marking a precedent as these sanctions have previously been enacted. For instance, both FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia in February 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, and currently, Russian teams remain barred from participated in international events. Earlier this year, FIFA also suspended the Congolese Football Federation due to third-party interference in its operations and the Pakistan Football Federation for its failure to enact amendments necessary for conducting fair and democratic elections.

FIFA has received numerous appeals over the years to suspend Israel, prominently when the Palestinian Football Association raised the issue at the annual FIFA Congress in May 2024, the first such congress since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023. At that time, FIFA declared that it would seek independent legal advice, and by October 2024, FIFA had commenced two investigations: one addressing the Palestinian Football Association’s claims of discrimination from the Israel Football Association and the other examining allegations that Israeli teams operate from territories belonging to Palestine.

The executive council of UEFA is scheduled to convene on December 3 in Nyon, Switzerland, with the next meeting of the FIFA Congress set for April 30, 2026, in Vancouver, Canada.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported at least 65,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in this warfare, per CBS News, but it has not clarified the breakdown between civilians and combatants. The United Nations regards the Health Ministry’s figures as the most accurate casualty estimates during this ongoing conflict.