Players stress importance of unity and describe how war affects their preparations for the tournament
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Cantona pressures governing bodies to suspend Israel
Former Manchester United forward Eric Cantona, June 10, 2028
MANCHESTER UNITED legend Eric Cantona has called on Fifa and Uefa to suspend Israel from international football over its war in Gaza. Speaking at the Together 4 Palestine event in London on Wednesday night, Cantona compared the situation to the swift action taken against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
“Four days after Russia started a war, they were suspended,” Cantona said. “We are now over 700 days into what Amnesty International has called a genocide, and yet Israel continues to play.”
Despite ongoing conflict and damning reports from Amnesty International and a UN inquiry, Israel’s national team remains active in World Cup qualifiers and Maccabi Tel Aviv is still competing in the Europa League.
Cantona, known for his political activism, emphasised football’s global influence: “International football is more than sport. It’s culture, politics, soft power.”
Israel hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1970 but remains in contention for the 2026 tournament, currently sitting third in their group. Cantona’s comments add growing pressure on football’s governing bodies to respond.
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