FIFA is not an independent sporting organisation; it is a political tool

Published 11 July 2026 · sports

Football fans around the world are only now finding out what Palestinians have long known. This World Cup has increasingly put FIFA and its leadership

Football fans around the world are only now finding out what Palestinians have long known. 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.

IFA 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.