FIFA Congress Erupts in Tension as Palestinian Football Chief Refuses Handshake with Israeli Official

Conflict Erupts at FIFA Congress

According to Главком: At a recent FIFA congress, Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub declined to shake hands with an Israeli representative. The incident unfolded as FIFA president Gianni Infantino urged the leaders of both the Palestinian and Israeli football federations to greet each other. Explaining his refusal, Rajoub stated:

“We are suffering”

and added that he

“has no intention of shaking the hand of a government that is committing genocide”

.

The Palestinian federation has decided to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the decision not to ban Israel’s national team and clubs from international competitions. This move stems from ongoing disputes surrounding Israel’s participation in global football events.

2026 FIFA World Cup Teams Finalized

Separately, all participants for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been confirmed. The group-stage matchups are as follows:

• Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
• Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
• Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
• Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
• Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
• Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
• Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
• Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
• Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
• Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
• Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
• Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

In conclusion, Ukraine’s national football team lost to Sweden with a score of 1-3 in the semifinal playoff match for the 2026 World Cup. Goals in this match were scored by Ponomarenko (90+1) for Ukraine and by Gyökeres, who netted a hat-trick (6, 51, 72).

Jibril Rajoub’s refusal to shake hands with an Israeli official at the FIFA congress highlights the deep political divisions affecting sports relations between Palestine and Israel. This could also influence future FIFA decisions regarding the participation of Israeli teams in international competitions, as the Palestinian Football Association plans to challenge the current ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Given this situation, it is important to monitor how events unfold and how the international community responds to this controversy.