Israel’s role in world football should be decided by Uefa, says Fifa V-P Victor Montagliani
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Israel players celebrating a goal during their 5-4 World Cup qualifying defeat by Italy on Sept 8.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Israel’s continued participation in international football has to be dealt with first and foremost by European governing body Uefa, Fifa vice-president Victor Montagliani said on Oct 1.
Uefa was expected to hold an emergency vote this week on whether to suspend Israel from European competition over the war in Gaza.
However, Montagliani was quoted by The Athletic as saying the continental body has decided “to pause a vote” following the announcement of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in the region.
Israel are third in Group I in European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Table-toppers Norway are set to play Israel next on Oct 11 in a qualifier in Oslo.
Ahead of that match, Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness called for Israel to be suspended from international football.
“I work on the issue from a principled standpoint, but we will not boycott on our own. A boycott would only result in Israel going to the World Cup instead of us,” Klaveness, who is on Uefa’s executive committee, said on Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics.
“In general, we are now working for Israel to be sanctioned. We believe that they should be, and this is about upholding the rules. Personally, I believe that since Russia is out, Israel should also be out.”
Amnesty International on Oct 1 sent a letter to Fifa and Uefa calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
However, Montagliani, president of the North and Central America and Caribbean football federation Concacaf, said it was down to Uefa to rule on Israel’s participation.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of Uefa, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason... They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference.
“And I respect not only their process, but whatever decision they make.”
Montagliani will attend the Fifa Council meeting in Zurich on Oct 2, where the issue of Israel’s participation is not on the agenda, nor is the proposal from South American federation Conmebol to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams.
The 2026 World Cup from June 11 to July 19 will be the biggest ever, having already been expanded to 48 teams from 32.
Montagliani insisted that no games would be moved from planned venues, despite Mr Trump saying in September that he would consider relocating matches from cities he did not deem safe.
“If I have to react every time a politician makes a statement, whether it’s a president or senator or congressman... then I wouldn’t be doing my job, because I’d be focusing on what these guys say,” the Canadian added. “So the reality is, we’re focused on the 16 venues and making sure that they’re ready.”
However, Montagliani said the kick-off times in certain venues could be changed after the experience of the Club World Cup hosted in the US earlier in 2025, where some matches took place in extreme heat and humidity.
“It’s always an issue in our region, because summers are hot... even in Canada they’re hot, not just the US, and so it’s important to learn those things,” he added.
The full match schedule will be announced after the World Cup draw on Dec 5 in Washington.
Montagliani said there were daily discussions with global broadcasters and time differences would be taken into account. REUTERS
