Overview

• An official U.S. State Department statement said Washington will “absolutely work to fully stop any effort” to ban Israel’s national team from the 2026 World Cup.
• UEFA and FIFA are holding high-level talks on Israel’s participation, with The Times reporting most UEFA executive members favor suspension and a decision could come next week, though no formal ruling has been announced.
• Eight UN human-rights experts urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel after a UN commission concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, stressing action should target state teams, not individual athletes.
• A UEFA suspension would effectively block Israel’s route through European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and increase pressure on FIFA, which has ongoing probes into discrimination claims and settlement teams.
• Protests and security concerns are rising around fixtures, including PAOK vs Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Israeli media reports of Qatari pressure for an immediate vote were denied by Israel’s FA, with UEFA’s next scheduled meeting listed as December 3.