Turkiye has become the first member of European football’s governing body, UEFA, to publicly call for Israel’s suspension from all football competitions, as pressure ramps up on the sport’s organising bodies to take action over the ongoing war on Gaza in advance of the World Cup 2026.
Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Friday sent a letter to international football leaders urging that “it is now time for FIFA and UEFA to act” – referring to the world and European football governing bodies.
“Despite positioning themselves as defenders of civic values and peace, the sporting world and football institutions have remained silent for far too long,” Haciosmanoglu said, according to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
“Guided by these values, we feel compelled to raise our deep concern regarding the unlawful (and more importantly, completely inhumane and unacceptable) situation being carried out by the State of Israel in Gaza and its surrounding areas,” he added.
UEFA is moving towards a vote on whether to suspend Israel, whose men’s football team is in the middle of attempting to qualify for next year’s World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The 20-member UEFA ruling committee is expected to secure a majority to exclude Israel from games if a vote is called.
Unease has grown regarding the apparent double standard of Israel’s treatment and that of Russia, whose national team was banned by both UEFA and FIFA in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
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