Turkish soccer leader urges FIFA, UEFA to suspend Israel

By Canadian Press on September 26, 2025.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey on Friday became the first UEFA member to publicly call for Israel to be suspended from soccer, calling the situation in Gaza “inhumane and unacceptable.”

Turkish Football Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu’s letter to international soccer leaders comes as European body UEFA moves toward a vote to suspend Israel, whose men’s team is in the middle of qualifying for next year’s World Cup.

“It is now time for FIFA and UEFA to act,” Haciosmanoglu wrote in the letter quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

“Despite positioning themselves as defenders of civic values and peace, the sporting world and football institutions have remained silent for far too long,” the Turkish official said.

Haciosmanoglu is not on the 20-member UEFA ruling committee, which is expected to have a majority to exclude Israel if a vote is called. The committee includes Israel soccer leader Moshe Zuares, who was elected in April.

The head of world soccer body FIFA, Gianni Infantino, is closely aligned with 2026 World Cup co-host the United States and President Donald Trump so is seen as unlikely to back a move to suspend Israel.

The U.S. State Department said Thursday it will work to stop any efforts aiming to ban Israel’s team from the World Cup.

Infantino chairs a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council next Thursday in Zurich.

Norway hosts Israel in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo on Oct. 11 and Italy is due to play Israel in Udine three days later.

FIFA didn’t immediately return requests seeking comment on Friday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press