Israel Offers to Host FIFA

By Aidan Lutz ‘27
On Oct. 12, 2021 President of FIFA Gianni Infantino suggested the idea of Israel and its Arab neighbors hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Tweet announcing his meeting with Infantino ended with the message, “That’s a goal we can all work towards!”

Despite the hopeful message, the idea may never come to fruition. Following Bennett’s announcement, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) released a statement including several points of contention.  
One of their points was about Gianni’s visit to the opening of the Friedman Center for Peace through Strength museum. The PFA stated that making football political would not make peace between Israel and Palestine. 
As an avid soccer player, seventh grade student Owen Grin said, “It would be good except a few countries would not want to play.” 
Junior Gabrielle Zellan said, "I think that bringing countries together through sports is a great idea. When countries refuse to participate, it might lead to more negative consequences. Also, if the Palestinian Football Association isn't going to support the Cup, having Israel and other countries host the FIFA World Cup could actually create more conflict between those countries rather than decreasing it."
If this event is to happen, an agreement with the PFA would have to be made.  
The last World Cup was in 2018, held in Russia.
Senior Eve Askin said, "If Israel manages to make it work, hosting the World Cup in 2030 could help lessen the tensions in the Middle East."

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