The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has officially asked UEFA for the immediate suspension of Israel from its competitions, marking another significant step in the pressure exerted on the European body.

Ireland, the first federation to act since the ceasefire

Meeting in extraordinary session this Saturday, November 8, 2025, the FAI General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of this motion , as announced in a press release.

This decision comes after a period of relative calm. Indeed, it is the first formal request for suspension submitted to UEFA since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on October 10, which had temporarily eased the pressure on football's governing bodies.

Strong support in Europe

Before Ireland, other federations had already made their voices heard. Turkey had called for such a measure in September, as had the president of the Norwegian federation and member of the UEFA executive committee, Lise Klaveness .

"Personally, I think that if Russia is excluded, Israel should also be excluded," she said, drawing a clear parallel with the situation in Russia.

The reluctance of FIFA and UEFA

Despite these calls, football's governing bodies remain reluctant to sanction Israel.

1. UEFA had at one point considered a vote on the suspension in October, but the executive committee never met to examine the issue. Its president, Aleksander Ceferin , also expressed his opposition to "banning athletes" in September, pointing out that the exclusion of the Russians had not had any impact on the conflict in Ukraine.
2. FIFA , the world governing body, has ruled out any such sanctions . Its president, Gianni Infantino , reaffirmed in early October that the organization could not "solve geopolitical problems" but should focus on promoting the "unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values" of football.

Both organizations are aware of the risk of legal action , like the one filed by the Russian federation after its exclusion in 2022. Although the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the sanctions against Russia, it cited an " unprecedented global reaction " – international sanctions and boycotts – to justify its decision, a context that is not present in the case of Israel.