Football fans around the world are only now finding out what Palestinians have long known.
A political scientist.
This World Cup has increasingly put FIFA and its leadership under scrutiny. Its decision to overturn the suspension of an American football player after US President Donald Trump’s intervention has roiled fans around the world. Meanwhile, there have been accusations of referees favouring Argentina in their decisions during games against Egypt and Cape Verde.
In Palestine, we have seen and experienced FIFA’s corrupt nature for years. Despite its statute explicitly requiring the organisation to respect human rights, it has systematically failed to do that when it has come to Palestinian football.
It has repeatedly refused demands from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) for allowing its league games to be played on occupied and stolen Palestinian land by teams that reside in illegal settlements.
It has not condemned the mass killing and maiming of Palestinian football players or demanded the release of detained football players – most recently Rand Halawani and Natalie Abu Dayyeh, members of the Palestinian women’s football team. It has not protested against the destruction of Palestinian football stadiums. It has done nothing to force Israel to abandon the various policies that restrict and undermine Palestinian football, including denying Palestinian teams travel permits.
IFA has not just tolerated and normalised racism, apartheid and occupation, but it has also taken part in efforts to congratulate the participation of Israeli footballers in war crimes in Gaza or Lebanon.
Despite the repeated rulings by the International Court of Justice and various UN resolutions, FIFA continues to claim that Palestinian demands are “a highly complex matter under public international law” and that “the final legal status of the West Bank remains unresolved”. This is nothing short of endorsing Israeli talking points, embraced by the Trump administration to shield its ally Israel and legitimise the theft of Palestinian land.
Just as Israel has made use of tourism, archaeology, religion, agriculture and others to normalise its illegal annexation, it has also done so through football – with FIFA’s support
FIFA’s contribution to Israeli crimes has expanded under the presidency of Gianni Infantino. Human rights organisations have rightly referred Infantino’s actions to the International Criminal Court, accusing him of acting “in full knowledge that these practices constitute the commission of human rights violations, apartheid and war crimes” and ignoring multiple reports and letters on the subject.
The FIFA leadership has not only been silent and passive about Israel’s crimes and IFA’s involvement, it has also actively participated in their whitewashing. Last month, FIFA suggested that Palestine should play Israel as the opening match in a U-15 tournament to “promote peace”. Weeks earlier, Infantino personally tried to force the head of the PFA to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart.
FIFA is clearly no longer a neutral international sporting federation, which per its statute should avoid any political interference. It has been turned into a political tool that supports the foreign policy of the US and its allies.
Infantino himself is a great illustration of this reality. In 2018, for no apparent reason, he attended the official signing of the Abraham Accords in Washington – an agreement that in effect sought to remove the Palestinian question from the collective Arab agenda. In 2021, he participated in a conference of the right-wing Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem Post, held in a venue built on the desecrated Muslim cemetery of Mamillah in Jerusalem.
In February, Infantino attended the inauguration of the controversial “Board of Peace”, which seeks to end the UN’s involvement in the Palestinian question and stop any international legal effort to end the Israeli occupation and genocide. He even announced a “strategic partnership to drive recovery and peace through football” with the board.
The ongoing controversies over the organisation of the World Cup should be understood in this context. FIFA has clearly lost control over its independent decision-making as an international sporting organisation and has abdicated from its responsibility to keep politics out of football.
When asked about the various violations the US has committed as a host against footballers, referees and fans, Infantino told the public that they should “chill, relax”.
All of this is incredibly damaging to public trust in international organisations like FIFA. It is also harmful for international football and to its reputation as a sport inclusive of all. If Infantino does not radically change his path, the legacy he will leave behind is one of destruction.
As for Palestinian football, it will persevere. The sport has existed since the creation of St George’s School team in Jerusalem in 1904. Since then, football has been part of every moment of Palestinian life. And like all things Palestinian, it has the strength to survive an occupation, a genocide and a corrupt FIFA.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
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