Palestine Football Association denies FIFA youth match against Israel

The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has denied reports that FIFA was planning an under-15s youth match between Palestine and Israel. Earlier this week, suggestions emerged that the global football governing body was interested in scheduling the match as the opening fixture of a new annual youth tournament.

In a statement released on Thursday, the PFA asserted that it had "not received any official communication or proposal from FIFA regarding such a match." The association reiterated its firm stance, stating, "Our position is firm and unchanged. Under the current circumstances, the PFA categorically rejects any attempt to promote or impose matches with an occupying power that systematically targets Palestinian athletes and sports infrastructure."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reportedly the main proponent of this idea. This follows his unsuccessful attempt earlier this year to organize a handshake between PFA president Jibril Rajoub and Basim Sheikh Suliman, the vice president of Israel’s football governing body, at the FIFA congress in Vancouver. The two men remained distant on stage, and Rajoub protested before leaving.

The PFA highlighted the severe impact of the ongoing conflict, stating that more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes have been killed in the past three years, including former national football team captain Sulaiman Al-Obaid and karate champion Nagham Abu Samra. The association emphasized that "This reality cannot be ignored or separated from any discussion about football activities involving Palestine."

Infantino had previously spoken positively about the new under-15s festival, calling it a "natural next step" in FIFA's efforts to promote youth competitions and development globally.