Spain Threatens World Cup Boycott over Israel’s Participation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Spain’s government has warned it could withdraw its national team from the 2026 World Cup if Israel is allowed to take part, a move that could plunge the tournament into disarray.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel must be treated the same way as Russia, which was banned from international football following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.
“Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image,” Sanchez told members of his Socialist Workers’ Party.
The governing PSOE has left open the option of boycotting the tournament in protest at Israel’s inclusion. Patxi Lopez, a senior Socialist lawmaker, said Spain could press for exclusion at “the appropriate time” if no action is taken.
Sports Minister Pilar Alegria backed the stance, saying: “Sport is not, and cannot be, an island independent of what happens in the real world, especially when that real world tells us that human rights are being destroyed.”
The threat comes as a UN commission of inquiry concluded last week that four of the five acts defined as genocide under international law have been committed by Israel in Gaza.
Israel sits third in its qualifying group with three matches remaining, leaving open the possibility of advancing to the 2026 finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Since October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 64,964 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry.
Spain’s European championship-winning side is regarded as one of the favourites for the next World Cup, but officials in Madrid insist participation will not come at the cost of a principled stand against Israeli crimes in Gaza.
