FIFA is once again under fire for its differentiated treatment of crisis situations. While the world football governing body promises $50 million to rebuild stadiums in Gaza, the Israeli team continues to participate in all international competitions. This decision comes as more than 72,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since October 2023, including women, children and footballers. The organization, led by Gianni Infantino, is thus financing the damage without ever sanctioning those it considers responsible.
UN experts formally appealed to FIFA and UEFA in September 2024, calling for Israel to be suspended in the name of international law. They recalled that sport cannot ignore serious violations. FIFA justified its inaction by describing the crisis as a "geopolitical problem," arguing that football should unite and not divide. However, Russia was suspended in a matter of days in 2022. This double standard raises questions about the selective morality of football's governing bodies.
This asymmetry of treatment is no accident. When Russian tanks entered Ukraine, the "football family" was deemed to be under threat. But when bombs fall on Gaza, destroying stadiums and infrastructure, FIFA is content with a humanitarian response. To justify its refusal to sanction Israel, FIFA opposes its "apoliticism" to demands for sanctions. Financing stadiums is presented as a humanitarian gesture, while suspending a federation is considered a political act. This rhetorical gymnastics avoids the central question: why does a member association linked to serious violations of international law suffer no sporting consequences?
FIFA's strategy carries major risks. A complaint has been filed with the International Criminal Court against Gianni Infantino and the President of UEFA, accusing them of complicity in war crimes. The document specifically targets the integration of Israeli clubs located in illegal settlements, playing on land confiscated from Palestinians. In the long term, it is FIFA's legitimacy that is crumbling. Supporters are organizing boycott campaigns, governments are denouncing the double standard, and former players are calling for Israel's suspension.
By financing the consequences of conflicts without questioning the causes, FIFA is normalizing the idea that the destruction of Gaza is a fatality to be taken care of financially, rather than an act to be sanctioned. The question remains as to how far sport can tolerate impunity before losing all moral credibility.
