FIFA to hold urgent meeting to take decision about potentially banning Israel from world football - Reports
FIFA are set to hold a meeting to decide whether to ban Israel from world football as a result of their response to Hamas. The Israeli have been at war with Hamas since their attack on October 7, with tens of thousands having been killed in Gaza since then.
Over the years, there have been attempts to separate football from politics, as this is one of the principles of FIFA. The conflict in Gaza has brought about a great deal of rancour between the people of Israel and Palestine, and the Palestinians have moved a motion to ban Israel from world football.
Following a meeting on Friday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has revealed that the emergency meeting of the organisation's council will be held in July to vote on the motion. The Palestine FA have received the backing of fellow Arab nations, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Yemen in asking for a ban for the Israeli teams.
FIFA have previously taken action in such situations, particularly with Russia in February 2022 after their invasion of Ukraine. This was the argument put forward by PFA president Jibril Rajoub when he asked if some wars were more important than others.
Since the start of this war, a reported 39,178 civilians have been killed in Gaza, with a further 73,300 injured. Another 425 have reportedly been killed in the West Bank area, and the PFA reports that at least 92 footballers have died in the conflict.
The Palestinian Football Association also accused Israel of war crimes in their proposal, as they claimed that the Israeli have ignored calls from the UN for restraint. The Israeli FA remain confident that their nation has not fallen foul of FIFA's regulations, and they will be safe from any potential bans.
FIFA names Brazil hosts of 2027 Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup will take place in South America for the first time after Brazil was confirmed as the host nation for the tournament. The Brazilian bid beat a joint bid from Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to be named hosts.
Brazil have hosted the FIFA World Cup twice in the past, in 1950 and 2014, but have never previously hosted the Women's World Cup. They are among the powerhouses of women's football, with one second-placed finish in 2007 their best result in the tournament.
They become the latest hosts of the competition after China, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, USA, Australia and New Zealand. With the competition having been expanded to 32 teams in 2023, more teams are expected to feature in Brazil, as well.