The media reported on the intention of the United States to prevent Israel from being excluded from the World Cup

The United States is working to prevent the Israeli national team from being suspended from the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip. This was reported on September 25 by The Times of Israel, citing a statement from the US State Department.

"We will definitely work to completely stop any attempts to ban the Israeli national football team from participating in the World Cup," the statement said.

Economic gap: Wave of Palestinian recognitions exacerbates Israel's relations with the EU

The EU countries account for a third of the Jewish state's exports, and they also provide investments worth €72 billion per year.

On September 21, it was reported that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) may decide to suspend Israeli clubs and the national team from participating in tournaments under its auspices. At the same time, it was clarified that Qatar exerted pressure on the association and the members of the executive committee, the vast majority of whom supported this decision.

Later, on September 24, the Israel Hayom portal reported that UEFA had decided not to suspend Israeli football clubs from participating in European competitions. According to the portal, under pressure from US officials, the issue of the possible suspension of Israeli teams was previously removed from the agenda.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to UEFA's double standards after the decision not to suspend Israel from the competition.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.