Spain Signals Potential World Cup Boycott Over Israeli Participation
Madrid – Spain has indicated it may boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup should Israel qualify, escalating a diplomatic adn sporting stance against the country amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The threat,voiced by leading Spanish political figures,builds on previous actions taken by Madrid to isolate Israel on international platforms.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez initially called for Israel’s exclusion from all international championships, drawing a parallel to FIFA and UEFA’s ban of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Israel cannot continue to exploit any international platform to polish its image,” Sanchez told members of the Socialist Party, according to reports. This position reflects a broader policy of boycott and isolation being pursued by Spain.
The possibility of a formal vote to boycott the World Cup was raised by Patxi Lopez,a spokesman for the Socialist Bloc in the Spanish Parliament. government spokesperson Pilar Alegia further emphasized that “sport cannot be isolated from what is happening in the real world, especially when human rights [are] violated.”
This stance follows a September 16th decision by Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, to withdraw from hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in vienna if Israel participates.
Spain’s move comes as the national team is considered a strong contender for the upcoming World Cup, having recently won the European Championship 2024, defeating England 2-1, and the European Nations League. As of today, neither FIFA nor UEFA has issued an official comment regarding Spain’s position.
