World football’s governing body, FIFA, did not issue a definitive ruling on Thursday regarding the Palestinian request to suspend Israel from the organization. Instead, it announced the initiation of multiple committee investigations aimed at informing a future decision.
In May, during FIFA’s congress in Bangkok, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) formally called for Israel’s suspension and demanded a ban on Israeli teams participating in FIFA-sanctioned events. The PFA’s request was rooted in ongoing disputes concerning Israeli teams allegedly playing in occupied Palestinian territories.
Initially, FIFA had scheduled an extraordinary session of its ruling council to take place before July 20 to review independent legal assessments and determine the next steps. However, this deadline was extended to allow legal experts more time to complete their report on the matter.
At FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich on Thursday, the FIFA council reviewed and adopted the conclusions and recommendations outlined in the legal analysis. As a result, it mandated its disciplinary committee to investigate the accusations of discrimination brought forth by the PFA.
In addition, FIFA’s governance, audit, and compliance committee was tasked with investigating the participation of Israeli football teams allegedly operating in Palestinian territory. This committee will later advise the FIFA Council on whether Israeli teams playing in these areas should face sanctions or restrictions.
The investigations will help FIFA determine its course of action regarding the sensitive issue, as both the PFA and Israeli Football Association await a final resolution.
