UEFA has delayed a decision on whether to suspend Israel from European football competitions after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a new 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.
Trump described the proposal as “an amazing thing” and warned Hamas they had “three or four days” to respond.
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The Times reported that a large majority of UEFA executive members were in favour of suspension, similar to the action taken against Russia in 2022.
However, with Trump’s plan now on the table, Sky News says European football chiefs believe it is not the right moment to impose sanctions.
If no vote takes place, Israel will be able to play their scheduled 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October against Norway in Oslo and Italy in Udine.
Any UEFA ban would only apply to competitions it controls, such as the Nations League or European club tournaments, meaning FIFA’s World Cup would remain unaffected.
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Norwegian FA president and UEFA executive committee member Lise Klavenes has publicly called for Israel to be banned, arguing: “Personally, I believe that since Russia is out, Israel should also be out.”
Meanwhile, a group of UN experts has urged both UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel, stressing that sport should not “turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations.” Their statement argued that sanctions should target the state, not individual players.
Israel currently sit third in their World Cup qualifying group, level on points with Italy and six behind leaders Norway.
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