Kenneth Glad
An attempt to project unity at FIFA’s annual congress instead exposed deep divisions shaped by a wider and long-running conflict. What unfolded in Vancouver made clear that events far beyond football continue to influence the sport’s global stage.
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Palestinian FA president Jibril Rajoub used his address at FIFA’s congress to describe what he sees as the impact of the war in Gaza on sport and daily life.
His remarks echoed earlier complaints brought to FIFA over access, damaged facilities and broader conditions affecting Palestinian football.
“My message to the FIFA Congress is to put pressure on those who prevent Palestinians from playing football,” he said., according to DR.
“Genocide also affects sport in Palestine. All sports facilities in Gaza have been destroyed, more than a thousand athletes, including the national team captain, are dead, and hundreds are still under the rubble or missing.”
Presented as allegations, his comments shifted attention away from routine congress matters and toward the wider conflict behind them.
A brief moment
After the speeches, FIFA president Gianni Infantino invited Rajoub and Basim Sheikh Suliman, vice chairman of the Israeli Football Association, to join him on stage.
According to DR, the aim appeared to be a simple gesture: A handshake that could signal cooperation despite their differences.
It did not happen.
Rajoub spoke quietly with Infantino, then declined and stepped away. As he returned to his seat, he addressed delegates directly: “Our people are suffering.”
The moment ended almost as soon as it began.
Clashing views
Suliman had earlier emphasized a different message, focusing on cooperation within the sport;
“The Israeli Football Association has supported the Palestinian Football Association from day one, and we still do. We are proud of both our teams. In football there is no place for politics, and everyone has the right to play and compete.”
Infantino later tried to shift attention toward shared initiatives, including youth tournaments:
“Let me thank the two representatives from Israel and Palestine, who have the same rights and obligations as all FIFA members. Let us work together to give hope to children.”
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström said dialogue with both sides would continue.
The exchange made clear that as long as the war in Gaza continues, football’s governing body will struggle to keep politics out of its own arena.
Sources: DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation)
