Pogba and 50 Athletes Urge UEFA to Ban a European National Team

Paul Pogba and 50 professional athletes have taken part in a campaign urging UEFA to prohibit matches involving the Israeli national team.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, calls to exclude Israel’s national team from the tournament are growing stronger. Among the prominent voices is Manchester United and France legend Eric Cantona, alongside the Spanish government. Recently, 51 athletes worldwide signed a petition demanding governing bodies suspend Israel due to the conflict with Palestine.

Currently, Russia is the only national team banned from international competition. Israel, currently third in Group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, now faces a similar risk of sanction.

According to The Times, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to take strong measures to ensure his team is not disqualified, even directly appealing to senior FIFA and UEFA officials.

Meanwhile, the professional athletes’ coalition called Athletes 4 Peace has officially called on UEFA to suspend Israel until it complies with international law and ends the conflict. The United Nations also issued a statement emphasizing that sports organizations “cannot turn a blind eye.”

Paul Pogba is the most prominent star supporting the cause. According to BBC Sport, the French star, along with Cheick Doucoure—the only Premier League player involved—signed the petition. Others include Hakim Ziyech, Sam Morsy, and former England cricket player Moeen Ali. They declared it a “unified voice of the global sports community standing for justice, fairness, and humanity.”

In a joint statement, the athletes emphasized: “Israel’s actions violate international humanitarian law and contradict the principles of sport. Sport cannot remain neutral in the face of injustice. Silence means accepting that some lives are valued less than others.”

Beyond footballers, the movement includes boxers Ty Mitchell and Zak Chelli, jockey Khadijah Mellah, cricket players Abtaha Maqsood and Ajaz Patel, as well as rugby league player Illiess Macani (London Broncos). Notably, FC Palestino became the first club to officially sign on, as confirmed on their website.

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