European football’s governing body UEFA is expected to vote to ban the Israel national team and clubs from participating in their competitions after the UN Commission found the nation has committed genocide in Gaza.
In the past week, Israel’s place in global soccer has come under scrutiny, as the United Nations urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend the country from their competitions.
A majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is expected to back a vote to suspend Israeli teams according to two sources cited by the Associated Press.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has since said it will work to keep Israel from being banned from the 2026 men’s World Cup, which is set to be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico next summer.
A State Department spokesperson told The Athletic: “We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.”