Donald Trump will intervene to stop any plans from FIFA, soccer’s governing body, banning Israel from the World Cup in the United States next summer, it has been revealed.
The United Nations this week urged organizations to suspend Israeli sporting teams over the war in Gaza after a UN commission said Israel is committing genocide in the region. Israel has rejected the accusations.
Now, according to Sky News, a spokesperson for Marco Rubio‘s state department said: ‘We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.’
FIFA is yet to respond to the UN’s calls but the suggestion puts its president, Gianni Infantino in a potentially difficult position after working hard to forge a close relationship with Trump,
In a speech in New York this week, Infantino said it is difficult to sanction countries involved in conflict but added: ‘I suffer when I see children suffer. I cry when I see mothers crying, whether it’s in Gaza… anywhere in the world.’
But despite Infantino’s words, Russia remains banned from international competiton due to its war with Ukraine and won’t play at the World Cup, which starts next June.
Donald Trump will work to stop Israel being banned from next summer’s World Cup
Israel’s team has a good chance of qualifying for the competition, which will largely be held in the US with games also staged in Mexico and Canada.
Isreal has two more qualifying games remaining, the next of which is held in a little over two weeks, on October 11 against Norway before its final game against Italy three days later.
Israel is third in the standings, tied on points with second-place Italy. The winner of the group automatically qualifies for the World Cup, while second-place goes into a playoff.
But Norwegian officials have already said that it would donate any profits from that game to humanitarian aid organizations in Gaza. And there is growing belief that European soccer nations want Israel banned from the biggest stage of all next year.
‘Neither we nor other organisations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time,’ the Norwegian federation’s president Lise Klaveness said last month.
It’s possible Infantino could choose to remain silent on the topic in the hope that Israel fails to qualify and takes a difficult decision out of his hands. But Thursday’s comments from Rubio’s deparment put the topic firmly back in the agenda.
There was also concern earlier this year that nations such as Iran would be banned from the World Cup after Trump placed a travel ban on the country to stop nationals entering the US.
But a White House spokesperson told Daily Mail that players, coaches and members of athletic teams for the World Cup and 2028 OIympic Games in Los Angeles are subject to exceptions.
Trump, meanwhile, will attend the Ryder Cup near New York on Friday morning in the latest sporting instalment of his second term as President.
Earlier in September, he caused chaos by attending the US Open tennis final in New York as fans had to line up for hours to go through secret service security before making their way into Arthur Ashe.
He was at the Club World Cup final earlier this summer, remaining on the podium as Chelsea lifted the trophy. Trump also became the first sitting President to attend a Super Bowl in February as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.
On September 11, Trump watched the New York Yankees beat Detroit Tigers in the Bronx, and also attended the Daytona 500.
