FIFA President Gianni Infantino had a clear message: calm down. He spoke directly to pro-Palestinian protestors today, asking them to ease up before upcoming European World Cup qualifiers. These matches involve Israel facing Norway and Italy. His plea came right after a new peace agreement was announced for the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to journalists in Rome, Infantino shared his thoughts. He was at the European Football Clubs (EFC) General Assembly. “Everyone should be happy with the peace plan and support the process,” he stated. “Of course, this goes beyond football, but it also includes football.” He sees the sport as part of this bigger picture.
The football world was holding its breath for these matches. Israel is set to visit Norway this Saturday in Oslo. Three days later, they will clash with Italy in Udine. These games are part of the seventh and eighth rounds of the European qualification Group I for the 2026 World Cup. Currently, Israel sits third in the group with nine points. Italy has the same number of points but has played one less game. Norway leads the group by itself, six points clear of both.
Just last week, Italy saw a national strike. Millions of activists took to the streets. During this time, pro-Palestinian protestors approached the Italian training center in Florence. They demanded the match scheduled for Udine should not happen. Around 10,000 people were planning to protest on the very day of the game.
But then, things changed. On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. This marks the first step of a peace plan. US President Donald Trump proposed the plan. Indirect talks led to this agreement, with Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Turkey acting as mediators. Infantino quickly offered his praise. “Congratulations to President Trump, Qatar, Egypt, and all countries that collaborated on this matter,” he said. The FIFA leader has a close working relationship with the American president. This connection comes partly from this year’s Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup. The United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host the 2026 tournament.
The tensions were so high that even UEFA considered taking action. The organization thought about suspending Israel from European competitions. This was due to the country’s involvement in the war. The mayor of Udine, Alberto Felice De Toni, also asked for the match to be postponed. Italy, a four-time world champion (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), is desperate to avoid missing the main global tournament for national teams for a third time in a row. Ticket sales for the Udine match reflected the uncertainty. Only 4,000 tickets were sold by Monday for Friuli Stadium, which holds 25,000 people. On a more positive note, Norway decided to do something different. They will give up the revenue from their home game at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. This money will go to the organization Doctors Without Borders.
Beyond the immediate concerns about Israel’s matches, the FIFA chief touched on other major topics. He assured everyone that there would be “no problems” with temporary visas in the United States. These visas are for participating delegations and fans during the 2026 World Cup. This is good news, especially given the Trump administration’s increased restrictions on legal migration into the country.
Infantino also raised the idea of reviewing the global football calendar. He wants to change the dates for World Cups starting from 2030. This happened before with the 2022 edition in Qatar. That tournament was played in November and December because of the extreme summer heat.
“The discussion is general,” Infantino explained. “Playing in some European countries in July is very hot, so perhaps we should reflect on that.” He added, “We need to see how we can find competition formats that better protect the new needs of the calendar. There are some ways to optimize it, and we just need to keep an open mind.” The future of the World Cup has already taken shape. Portugal, Spain, and Morocco will host the 2030 tournament, which marks the event’s centenary. It will start with initial matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Then, Saudi Arabia will welcome the following edition in 2034, bringing the World Cup back to the Middle East.