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Israel Football Association Confirms It Will Stay in UEFA, Rejects Return to Asian Qualifiers Ahead of 2026 World Cup
In the run‑up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be shared by the United States, Mexico and Canada, Israel’s football authorities have made a clear statement: the country will remain in UEFA and will not seek a return to the Asian Football Confederation.
The decision echoes a long history of shifting allegiances. Israel first joined the AFC in the 1950s, but a resolution introduced by Kuwait in 1974 saw the nation expelled. In the 1980s the national team fought for World Cup spots in Oceania, qualifying for the 1986 and 1990 campaigns, before finally settling in Europe in 1991. Today, Israel is the only non‑European nation competing in UEFA qualification for the biggest tournament on the calendar.
Shlomi Barzel, IFA head of communications, said a switch back to Asia is not on the table. He explained that Israel values its European membership, where it has built a solid standing, and warned that the AFC would likely reject any re‑entry. Barzel added that a boycott of Israel would not guarantee qualification and pointed to the benefits of the IFA’s institutional ties within UEFA.
Those ties are highlighted by Moshe “Shino” Zuaretz’s election to the UEFA Executive Committee in April 2025 and by former chairman Avi Luzon’s prior senior role on the same body. The IFA’s relationship with FIFA is also evident: Israeli fans were allowed to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite the lack of diplomatic ties, and FIFA moved the 2023 U‑20 World Cup from Indonesia to Argentina after Indonesia objected to hosting Israel’s team. The young squad finished third in that tournament.
Security concerns have shadowed Israeli football in recent years. In November 2024, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were attacked in Amsterdam after a match against Ajax, and the club’s fans were later barred from attending an Aston Villa game, sparking a political and policing controversy in Britain. In Los Angeles, security guards confiscated an Israeli flag from a fan during Iran’s match against New Zealand—a move that prompted FIFA’s special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, to say he was “very disturbed” by the incident.
Barzel described the flag episode as a poor decision by stadium staff and emphasized that the Israeli flag is displayed alongside other member associations at official FIFA and UEFA events. He noted that FIFA discourages flags of teams not playing in a given match, and that Israeli teams are accustomed to seeing Palestinian flags in stadiums.
Security restrictions imposed on the IFA have been framed as purely security‑related. In October, UEFA nearly held an emergency vote to suspend Israel over the Gaza war. At FIFA’s congress in Vancouver in April, Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands with Israel FA Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman, prompting FIFA President Gianni Infantino to call on the sides to “give hope to the children.”
Despite these tensions, Israel continues to compete. The nation has been unable to host matches at home for nearly three years because of the war and has had to play its World Cup qualifiers in neutral third countries. The IFA is hosting several contests this fall in Moldova, a country that opened an Israeli embassy last year.
FIFA maintains its vision of football as a “force for unity, peace and hope.” It has discussed opening a new under‑15 tournament in the United States in September that would feature a symbolic match between Israeli and Palestinian youth teams. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the IFA remains committed to staying within UEFA, while security concerns, diplomatic tensions and the broader political landscape keep the situation unresolved.
The decision echoes a long history of shifting allegiances. Israel first joined the AFC in the 1950s, but a resolution introduced by Kuwait in 1974 saw the nation expelled. In the 1980s the national team fought for World Cup spots in Oceania, qualifying for the 1986 and 1990 campaigns, before finally settling in Europe in 1991. Today, Israel is the only non‑European nation competing in UEFA qualification for the biggest tournament on the calendar.
Shlomi Barzel, IFA head of communications, said a switch back to Asia is not on the table. He explained that Israel values its European membership, where it has built a solid standing, and warned that the AFC would likely reject any re‑entry. Barzel added that a boycott of Israel would not guarantee qualification and pointed to the benefits of the IFA’s institutional ties within UEFA.
Those ties are highlighted by Moshe “Shino” Zuaretz’s election to the UEFA Executive Committee in April 2025 and by former chairman Avi Luzon’s prior senior role on the same body. The IFA’s relationship with FIFA is also evident: Israeli fans were allowed to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite the lack of diplomatic ties, and FIFA moved the 2023 U‑20 World Cup from Indonesia to Argentina after Indonesia objected to hosting Israel’s team. The young squad finished third in that tournament.
Security concerns have shadowed Israeli football in recent years. In November 2024, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were attacked in Amsterdam after a match against Ajax, and the club’s fans were later barred from attending an Aston Villa game, sparking a political and policing controversy in Britain. In Los Angeles, security guards confiscated an Israeli flag from a fan during Iran’s match against New Zealand—a move that prompted FIFA’s special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, to say he was “very disturbed” by the incident.
Barzel described the flag episode as a poor decision by stadium staff and emphasized that the Israeli flag is displayed alongside other member associations at official FIFA and UEFA events. He noted that FIFA discourages flags of teams not playing in a given match, and that Israeli teams are accustomed to seeing Palestinian flags in stadiums.
Security restrictions imposed on the IFA have been framed as purely security‑related. In October, UEFA nearly held an emergency vote to suspend Israel over the Gaza war. At FIFA’s congress in Vancouver in April, Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands with Israel FA Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman, prompting FIFA President Gianni Infantino to call on the sides to “give hope to the children.”
Despite these tensions, Israel continues to compete. The nation has been unable to host matches at home for nearly three years because of the war and has had to play its World Cup qualifiers in neutral third countries. The IFA is hosting several contests this fall in Moldova, a country that opened an Israeli embassy last year.
FIFA maintains its vision of football as a “force for unity, peace and hope.” It has discussed opening a new under‑15 tournament in the United States in September that would feature a symbolic match between Israeli and Palestinian youth teams. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the IFA remains committed to staying within UEFA, while security concerns, diplomatic tensions and the broader political landscape keep the situation unresolved.
