FIFA president Gianni Infantino says football cannot resolve geopolitical conflicts amid calls to suspend Israel.
He stressed that FIFA’s role is to unite people through the game and its humanitarian values.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said football cannot be used to solve geopolitical conflicts, as calls grow for Israel to be suspended from international competitions over the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Speaking at a FIFA Council meeting on Thursday, Infantino emphasized that the role of football is to promote peace and unity rather than resolve global disputes.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” he said. “Our thoughts are with those suffering in conflicts worldwide, but FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems. What we can do is promote the game and its unifying, cultural, and humanitarian values.”
The comments come as FIFA and UEFA face pressure to bar Israel, mirroring the 2022 ban on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
In 2024, FIFA ordered a legal review of a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel over the Gaza war, showing that the issue is already under discussion within the body’s governance structures.
Infantino repeated that football’s greatest contribution is offering “a message of peace and unity” even as political conflicts continue.
