The world’s leading football governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, are facing several legal cases and increasing public pressure over their policies toward Israel, including a case before the International Criminal Court accusing their presidents of aiding and abetting war crimes, complaints over violations of anti-discrimination rules, and outrage over their positions regarding Palestine.
Last week, FIFA announced it would take no action against Israeli football clubs based in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank in response to a complaint filed by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) in 2024. FIFA had opened two investigations into the Israeli Football Association (IFA)—one regarding Israeli settlement club teams being allowed to play in competitions organized by the IFA, and another into allegations of discrimination by the IFA.
On the former, FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee determined no action should be taken because “the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.”
The controversial decision ran counter to findings by the International Court of Justice, UN Security Council resolutions, and international law experts who all say Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law.
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin, asserted on May 10 that any settlement regarding the...
The Hungarian Parliament held its inaugural session on Saturday, May 9, ushering in a new political...
The 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal that overthrew the country's dictatorship and led to independence for...
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a large‑scale prisoner exchange...
