Turkey has sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA demanding that Israel be banned

He further said:

"We express deep concern over the illegal, inhumane, and utterly unacceptable actions carried out by the State of Israel inside and around Gaza."

Israel is currently attempting to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. In this situation, UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is moving toward a vote on expelling Israel from European competitions. According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, if such a vote is held, a majority could favor banning Israel.

Earlier, in 2022, Russia was banned by FIFA and UEFA following its invasion of Ukraine. But no similar action against Israel has raised accusations of double standards against football’s governing bodies.

On Friday (September 26), a coalition of 48 professional athletes known as Athletes for Peace called on UEFA to immediately ban Israel from all football competitions. French midfielder Paul Pogba and English cricketer Moeen Ali were among the signatories.

Their statement said:

"Justice, fairness, and humanity should be the core principles of football. We, the members of Athletes for Peace, call on UEFA to immediately ban Israel from all competitions until it complies with international law and ends the killing of civilians."

They also referenced the death of Suleiman al-Obeid  known as the “Pelé of Palestine”  who, according to the Palestinian Football Association, was killed in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Israel has been a full member of UEFA since 1994. It had played in the World Cup only once before, in 1970. Later, in 2002, following an initiative by Kuwait and with support from Arab nations, Israel was expelled from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In response to these calls for a ban, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday (September 25):
"We will fully oppose any attempt to ban Israel from next year’s World Cup."