So far, UEFA has not issued any official comment.

Israel appears close to receiving an exemption allowing it to participate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, even if UEFA imposes a ban on it.

The UEFA Executive Committee is expected to vote this week on a plan to prevent Israel from participating in competitions directly controlled by UEFA, such as the Nations League and the Europa League, including excluding Maccabi Tel Aviv from this season’s Europa League.

However, the World Cup, hosted by the United States next year in cooperation with FIFA, remains a competition under the international football federation. Therefore, according to a report by the British newspaper “The Guardian,” taking unilateral action against Israel in World Cup qualifiers would be a complex political decision, which UEFA seems keen to avoid.

This means UEFA will remain responsible for organizing Israel’s World Cup qualifiers, including providing referees and security for their national matches, despite the ban on its other competitions.

This comes amid rising political tensions, with the US State Department warning last week that it will work vigorously to stop any attempt to prevent the Israeli national team from participating in the World Cup. Media reports also link FIFA President Gianni Infantino closely with Donald Trump during the tournament preparations.

Israel is scheduled to face Norway and Italy in the qualifiers during the upcoming international break, while Amnesty International in Norway has called on the national football association to increase pressure on UEFA, and a general strike was organized in Italy protesting the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.

The Israeli national team currently occupies third place in its qualifying group, tied on points with Italy in second place, after Israel has played an extra match. Experts suggest that any potential boycott by European countries could theoretically enhance Israel’s chances of qualifying.

At the club level, Maccabi Tel Aviv is expected to play its second Europa League match against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, which could be the team’s last participation in the tournament if the ban is enforced.