The Trump administration is making it clear it will vehemently oppose any attempt to ban Israel from trying to qualify and compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The confirmation from the White House comes amid growing pressure for UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, and FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup, to suspend Israel over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza resulting from its war with Hamas.

According to the Associated Press, a majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is expected to support a proposed vote to suspend Israeli teams from international play. A ban would sideline Israel’s national team, which is competing in the UEFA qualifying section for the 2026 World Cup.

The Trump administration promptly signaled its support of Israel and opposition to any ban. “We will absolutely work to stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup,” a Department of State official told Sky Sports.

The United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the World Cup set to take place between June 11 and July 19. President Trump has been a staunch supporter of the event despite his past issues with co-hosts Mexico and Canada. Eleven U.S. cities will serve as venues, with the final scheduled for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

If a suspension were enacted, it would profoundly affect current play by teams looking to qualify for the World Cup. Israel’s men’s national team sits third in its UEFA World Cup qualifying group, where 12 group winners secure a spot in the World Cup and the runners-up advance to qualification playoffs to decide the final four qualifiers from Europe. Israel is scheduled to face group-leader Norway and second-place Italy in the next round of qualifiers set for October.

FIFA, soccer’s governing body and World Cup organizer, is also facing mounting pressure to ban Israel after an independent United Nations human rights commission concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.  

A spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry called the report “a fake” that relied “entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others.”

The report triggered calls that Israel should be banned from international competitions much like Russia was issued a blanket ban from UEFA competitions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Any ban would end Israel’s hopes of qualifying for only its second ever World Cup, having competed in 1970.

“Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual,” a statement issued by the UN said. “Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalize injustices.”

While maintaining individual players shouldn’t suffer the consequences of the decisions their government makes, the statement said, “National teams representing States that commit massive human rights violations can and should be suspended as has happened in the past.”

FIFA, thus far, has deflected any calls to ban Israel, insisting politics should not impact global sporting events. FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, has cultivated a close relationship with Mr. Trump, visiting the White House to promote the upcoming event as well as the recent Club World Cup.

With Mr. Infantino at his side, Mr. Trump signed an executive order in March to establish a federal task force to oversee preparations and security plans. The White House has said that hosting the World Cup “aligns with President Trump’s broader economic agenda to attract foreign investment and position America as a destination for sports and tourism.”

For Israel, the stakes are enormous. The country has long seen international sports as a platform for legitimacy on the global stage. Its athletes have overcome huge obstacles during the war from living away from home to finding suitable training facilities. Israel has not had home matches since the October 7 attacks due to security concerns. Yet, they stand on the brink of history.

Ultimately, what was intended to be a celebration of global unity, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is becoming entangled in a divisive conflict.