With Palestine entrenched in a war against Israel, Algeria stepped forward to offer to host the Middle Eastern country's World Cup qualifying games. There is seemingly no chance of the country hosting games given its current state. Moreover, the World Cup qualifying games in Asia start during the November international break. Palestine has games against […]

UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe, postponed all fixtures taking place in Israel over the next two weeks. Israel is currently engaged in a war against Hamas, a Palestinian militant group. The Guardian reports over 700 people have died in Israel since a surprise Hamas attack. Israeli retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza have killed […]

Three top Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on Israel and RB Salzburg's teenage talent Oscar Gloukh. The 19-year-old performed well with the Israel national team during Euro 2024 qualifying in the recent international window. Gloukh has played a huge role in Israel's recent success in qualifying. He has two goals in the side's last […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli citizens will be allowed to travel to Qatar to watch football's 2022 World Cup, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the government said.  World football's governing body "FIFA has confirmed that Israeli citizens will be able to enter Qatar during the World Cup and watch games, just […]

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Staging Sunday's French Champions Trophy between cup winners Paris Saint-Germain and league champions Lille in Israel may be controversial — but the man behind the Tel Aviv showdown says the country can only benefit. Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has brought the high-profile French football season-opener to Israel, and the Canadian-born entrepreneur says the […]

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinian football chief Jibril Rajoub on Monday renewed calls for FIFA to exclude Israel over games played in settlements on occupied land, expressing disappointment at the world's body's recommendations. Palestinians argue the presence of six Israeli football clubs playing inside settlements in the occupied West Bank that are seen as […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – A UN resolution condemning settlements has raised pressure on FIFA to take action against Israeli football clubs based in the occupied West Bank, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The United Nations Security Council last week demanded an end to Israeli settlements in the first such resolution in decades. Israel labelled the resolution […]

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – FIFA envoy Tokyo Sexwale on Tuesday called for movement on the "headache" issue of Israeli clubs in settlements in the occupied West Bank, after meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders. FIFA president Gianni Infantino last month told AFP the issue was a "priority" for him, and Sexwale, chairman of the FIFA Monitoring […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel said on Tuesday that the Islamic State group had been planning attacks "in the Balkans" and specifically warned its citizens not to attend an upcoming Israel-Albania football match. Albanian football officials said earlier Tuesday that the country's 2018 World Cup qualifier with Israel this weekend would be moved for "security reasons", […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel's Supreme Court has called on the government to explain why football games are allowed on the traditional Jewish day of rest, court documents seen Friday by AFP showed. The intervention reopens the thorny issue of matches played on the Sabbath, which lasts from sunset Friday until the same time Saturday. Observant […]

Geneva (AFP) – The Palestinian football chief told AFP Tuesday he would appeal to the world's top sports court if FIFA fails to punish Israel over clubs based in the occupied West Bank.  At issue are six small-time Israeli football clubs which play in Jewish settlements that are considered illegal under international law, alongside travel […]

Zurich (AFP) – Palestinian hopes that FIFA would get tough on Israel were muted Friday when world football's governing body put off a decision on Israeli clubs based in settlements in the occupied West Bank.  The Palestine Football Association this week called on FIFA to either expel the six clubs in settlements, which are illegal […]

Zurich (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino will make finding a solution to the bitter dispute over Israeli football clubs playing inside the occupied West Bank a "priority", he told AFP in an exclusive interview. Six clubs in the Israeli league currently play in West Bank Jewish settlements, which are considered illegal under international law. […]

Ariel (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – At an average match, Ariel City attract fewer than 100 spectators at home in a West Bank settlement — yet they have been called one of Israel's "most important" football clubs. That's because they, along with five other Israeli clubs, play their matches in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – FIFA has been condoning football matches played on "stolen" land in the occupied West Bank, Human Rights Watch said Monday, calling for Israeli clubs based in settlements to be forced to relocate. Six clubs in the Israeli football league play in West Bank Jewish settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, the […]