World Cup Tensions Rise as Spain Threatens Boycott

Spain has threatened to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Israel participates (image source)

Spain has warned it may boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Israel is allowed to participate, citing alleged human rights violations in Gaza and demanding consistency in FIFA’s treatment of member nations.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez issued the threat during a Socialist Workers' Party meeting, urging FIFA and UEFA to apply the same standards used to ban Russia in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

“Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image,” Sanchez said.

Spain’s stance follows a United Nations inquiry that found “reasonable grounds” to conclude Israel committed four of five genocidal acts defined under international law. The Gaza conflict, which began with Hamas’ October 2023 attack, has resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths, according to humanitarian groups.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the U.N. findings as “distorted and false.” Spanish Sports Minister Pilar Alegria echoed Sanchez’s call for Israel’s exclusion from global sporting events.

“Sport is not, and cannot be, an island independent of what happens in the real world,” Alegria said.

FIFA has not yet responded. Spain, unbeaten in World Cup qualifiers and a tournament favorite, could trigger wider European dissent if it proceeds with a boycott. The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The situation raises questions about FIFA’s consistency in applying human rights standards and the role of politics in global sport.