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FIFA has clearly lost its independence in decision-making as an international sports organization and has abdicated its responsibility to keep politics out of football...
This World Cup has increasingly put FIFA and its leaders under scrutiny. The decision to lift the suspension of an American footballer, after the intervention of US President Donald Trump, has caused strong reactions among fans around the world. Meanwhile, accusations have been raised that the referees have favored Argentina with their decisions during the matches against Egypt and Cape Verde.
It has repeatedly rejected demands from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) because the latter allows its championship matches to be held in occupied Palestinian land, where teams based in illegal settlements play.
FIFA has not condemned the mass killings and maiming of Palestinian footballers, nor has it demanded the release of arrested players, most recently Rand Halawani and Natalie Abu Dayyeh, members of the Palestinian women’s national football team. FIFA has not only tolerated and normalized racism, apartheid, and occupation, but has also participated in efforts to glorify the involvement of Israeli footballers in war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.
Despite repeated rulings by the International Court of Justice and various UN resolutions, FIFA continues to claim that Palestinian claims are “a very complex issue under public international law” and that “the final legal status of the West Bank remains unresolved.” This is nothing more than an appropriation of Israeli arguments, also supported by the Trump administration, to protect its ally, Israel, and to legitimize the appropriation of Palestinian land.
Just as Israel has used tourism, archaeology, religion, agriculture and other areas to normalize the illegal annexation of Palestinian territories, it has done the same through football, with the support of FIFA. FIFA's contribution to these policies has deepened during the presidency of Gianni Infantino. Human rights organizations have referred Infantino's actions to the International Criminal Court, accusing him of acting "with full knowledge that these practices constitute human rights violations, apartheid and war crimes", and of ignoring numerous reports and letters sent on the matter.
FIFA leaders have not only remained silent and passive in the face of Israel’s crimes and the IFA’s involvement, but have also actively participated in their cover-up. FIFA is no longer a neutral international sports federation, which, according to its statute, must avoid any political interference. It has become a political instrument that supports the foreign policy of the US and its allies.
Infantino himself is a clear example of this reality. In 2018, for no apparent reason, he attended the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords in Washington, an agreement that aimed to remove the Palestinian issue from the common Arab agenda. In 2021, he attended a conference organized by the right-wing Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, held at a site built on the desecrated Muslim cemetery of Mamillah in Jerusalem.
In February, Infantino attended the inauguration of the "Peace Board," which aims to end UN involvement in the Palestinian issue and block any international legal efforts to end the Israeli occupation and genocide. He even announced a "strategic partnership to promote recovery and peace through football" with the board.
The ongoing controversies surrounding the organization of the World Cup must be seen in this context. FIFA has clearly lost its independence in decision-making as an international sports organization and has abdicated its responsibility to keep politics out of football.
When asked about the violations the US has committed as the host country against players, referees and fans, Infantino told those present that they should "calm down" and "relax."
All of this is extremely damaging to public trust in international organizations like FIFA. It also damages international football and its reputation as an inclusive sport. Unless Infantino radically changes course, the legacy he will leave behind will be devastating./ Adapted from “Pamphlet” by “Aljazeera”
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