Despite shelving a September vote, UEFA continued meeting with pro-Palestinian activists to collect human-rights testimony that could influence future decisions, even after a Gaza cease-fire, as more than 70 athletes call to suspend Israel over 'crimes against humanity'
'No shared venue, stage or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid and other crimes against humanity,' the letter said, urging UEFA to ban Israel, following a similar request by the Turkish Football Federation in September
If UEFA decided to ban Israel, it would put the organization on a collision course with the government of the US, co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup, which strongly opposes such an action.
Calls to suspend Israel from international soccer over Gaza are intensifying, with UEFA under pressure after refugee children attended matches and pro-Palestinian protests flared in Greece. The Trump administration is intervening to prevent any World Cup ban