Loud voice. Pogba signs petition demanding Israel's exclusion from international competitions
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Following the official statement from the UN commission declaring that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, calls to ban the country from international football are growing louder. This was reported by the BBC.
The Israeli national team is currently participating in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, while Maccabi Tel Aviv is competing in the Europa League. However, several football federations are pressing for a vote on suspension, and UEFA is already preparing for potential action.
The procedure will be decided at a UEFA executive committee meeting, where 20 members make key decisions for European football. Excluding Israel will require a simple majority. If approved, the decision takes effect immediately, automatically barring Israel from the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Turkey and a group of 48 athletes have already publicly called for immediate sanctions against Israel.
The most prominent name among those who signed the petition is France World Cup winner Paul Pogba. The authors of the letter emphasize that their initiative is a unified voice of professional athletes from around the world, standing for justice, fairness, and humanity in sports.
"Sport cannot stand aside in the face of injustice. Silence in such a situation means agreeing that some lives are worth more than others," the document states.
