Italy and Global Football Flame Israel’s World Cup Position.

The question of whether Israel should compete in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, given current events unfolding in Gaza, has been aroused by many sporting figures around the world in recent weeks.

Israel’s National Football team has faced global scrutiny regarding whether they should be able to participate in the next FIFA World Cup, due to recent global and current affairs affecting perceptions from around the world. The recent Palestine-Israel War has been shedding a dark cloud over Israel on the national football stage due to the harrowing events that have escalated in the past few years.

The manager of the Italian national football team, Gennaro Gattuso, recently appeared to subtly throw shade at Israel’s potential involvement in the competition. Following Italy’s intense 4-3 victory, a heated exchange broke out between Nico Barella and Tai Baribo. The Israeli forward reportedly told Gattuso, “Educate your players,” implying a link between politically fueled actions and football. This incident comes as Italy has had protests in recent weeks, suggesting a possible judgment of Israel internationally .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced even more scrutiny than the national football team, most recently at the UN in the USA, where many of those seated inside walked out rather than listen to his speech on Gaza. That reaction reflects a bigger picture, with huge support of 157 of the UN’s 193 member states already recognising a Palestinian state.

In footballing terms, this global stance is powerful. When Russia were banned from the World Cup after invading Ukraine, FIFA showed solidarity supporting the many nationalities that didn’t back Russia.Many now play devil’s advocate by asking, if FIFA punished Russia why not Israel?

This question grows louder in countries with deep footballing heritage in the competition France, Spain, Italy, where leaders such as Emmanuel Macron have voiced open support for Palestine. Even outside of politics, new human rights campaigns such as Greta Thunberg’s “Global Flotatia” are adding pressure. Together, these actions show how international opinion could weigh heavily on FIFA’s decision over Israel’s place in the next World Cup.