FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin (right) pose for photos during the 49th UEFA ordinary Congress at the Sava Center in Belgrade, Serbia, April 3, 2025. Photo: Predrağ Milosavljević/Xinhua.
Various international organizations have filed a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the presidents of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Aleksander Čeferin, for their alleged responsibility in legitimizing the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The international organizations, including Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and Irish Sport for Palestine, alleged that the two presidents are complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity, as stipulated in the Rome Statute. The complaint, filed on February 16, considers the inclusion of Israeli clubs based in illegal settlements in official leagues and international competitions held under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA as violations of international law.
Complaint filed with ICC accusing FIFA and UEFA presidents of aiding war crimes and apartheid in Palestinian territoryhttps://t.co/ODRziXVAXA
— Euro-Med Monitor (@EuroMedHR) February 18, 2026
According to the organizations’ statement, the financial and structural support provided by FIFA and UEFA to these clubs constitutes a “normalization” of life in the settlements, “contributing to the transfer of civilian population into occupied territories contrary to the Rome Statute art 8(2)(b)(viii). The practice also aids and abets apartheid (a crime against humanity pursuant to Rome Statute art 7(1)(j))—Palestinians are not allowed to enter the matches as spectators, play for, or become managers of, the illegal settlement clubs.”
The statement underscores that “settlements are a part of the Israeli government’s colonial project and UEFA and FIFA’s policies under the political leadership of their presidents assist with the conduct of these criminal activities.”
The complaint emphasizes that both Infantino and Čeferin “have acted in full knowledge that these practices constitute the commission of human rights violations, apartheid, and war crimes.” The plaintiffs have asserted that the leaderships of the football associations have systematically ignored reports from experts at the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, prioritizing political agreements with the governments of Israel and the United States to shield the Israel Football Association from any accountability.
The lawyers of the case emphasize that this legal action represents an excellent opportunity for the ICC to set a much-needed precedent. As FIFA and UEFA “are powerful private regulatory monopolies performing quasi-public functions with revenues that exceed the GDP of many countries in the world,” their decisions have a political and social impact that cannot go unpunished under international law.
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The complaint against FIFA and UEFA is not an isolated incident, but rather part of the historical struggle of the Palestinian people for the recognition of their sovereignty in all areas, including sports. For decades, the Palestinian Football Association has complained to the FIFA Congress about the constant obstacles imposed by the Zionist occupation, which include the restriction of movement for Palestinian athletes, the destruction of sports infrastructure, and the arbitrary detention of players. FIFA has never applied proportional sanctions against Israel.
The legal complaint at The Hague brings to the fore the role of sports corporations as cogs in the colonial domination system. By allowing teams from illegal settlements to play under the Israeli flag, FIFA and UEFA not only violate their own statutes on political and ethical neutrality but also become facilitators of the erasure of Palestinian identity.
This case also highlights the double standards of institutionalized sports. After the onset of the war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA immediately suspended Russian clubs and national teams from all international competitions. Meanwhile, they have systematically refused to take similar measures against the Israeli regime. This disparity in criteria highlights how the upper echelons of global football operate under Western geopolitical interests, ignoring genocide and colonization in West Asia.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
