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Spain threatens 2026 World Cup boycott
20 hrs ago | 227 Views
Spain could pull its national team out of the 2026 World Cup if Israel qualifies, government officials warned this week, escalating political pressure on FIFA to act.
The tournament will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first time it will be hosted by three nations. Spain, reigning European champions and bookmakers' favorites, are unbeaten in qualifying with two wins from two.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged FIFA and UEFA to treat Israel the same way they handled Russia, which was banned from international competition after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image," Sanchez told members of his Socialist Workers' Party earlier this week.
A United Nations commission of inquiry said Tuesday it had found "reasonable grounds" to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have been carried out by Israel in Gaza. The conflict began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. Israel's response has killed at least 64,964 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, figures the U.N. considers reliable.
Israel's foreign ministry rejected the U.N. findings as "distorted and false." Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called Sanchez "a disgrace" over his remarks.
Patxi Lopez, a spokesperson for the Socialist group in the Spanish Congress, said Madrid could press for a boycott if FIFA allows Israel to take part.
When asked if Spain would withdraw, Lopez said, "we'll consider it later" and added a formal request could be made "at the appropriate time" if no action is taken.
Sports Minister Pilar Alegria echoed Sanchez, saying Israel should be excluded from global events.
"Sport is not, and cannot be, an island independent of what happens in the real world, especially when that real world tells us that human rights are being destroyed," she said.
FIFA and UEFA have yet to respond publicly.
The tournament will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first time it will be hosted by three nations. Spain, reigning European champions and bookmakers' favorites, are unbeaten in qualifying with two wins from two.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged FIFA and UEFA to treat Israel the same way they handled Russia, which was banned from international competition after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image," Sanchez told members of his Socialist Workers' Party earlier this week.
A United Nations commission of inquiry said Tuesday it had found "reasonable grounds" to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have been carried out by Israel in Gaza. The conflict began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. Israel's response has killed at least 64,964 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, figures the U.N. considers reliable.
Patxi Lopez, a spokesperson for the Socialist group in the Spanish Congress, said Madrid could press for a boycott if FIFA allows Israel to take part.
When asked if Spain would withdraw, Lopez said, "we'll consider it later" and added a formal request could be made "at the appropriate time" if no action is taken.
Sports Minister Pilar Alegria echoed Sanchez, saying Israel should be excluded from global events.
"Sport is not, and cannot be, an island independent of what happens in the real world, especially when that real world tells us that human rights are being destroyed," she said.
FIFA and UEFA have yet to respond publicly.
Source - online
