Canadian rights group urges Canada Soccer to boycott World Cup if Israel participates
A Canadian human rights group is calling on Canada Soccer to refuse to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Israel is allowed to participate
TORONTO, Canada (MNTV) – A Canadian human rights group is calling on Canada Soccer to refuse to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Israel is allowed to participate, joining international demands to suspend the country’s teams over the genocide in Gaza.
Just Peace Advocates, a Toronto-based Palestinian-solidarity organization, sent a letter this week urging Canada Soccer to push for Israel’s suspension from FIFA and to commit to boycotting the tournament if it remains.
The letter was signed by 270 academics, legal experts, journalists, and advocates.
Toronto and Vancouver are among the host cities for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly staged by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
Rebecca Steckle, a research and policy analyst with the group, said Canada Soccer is bound by its bylaws and FIFA’s human rights policy to act against Israel, citing “extensive evidence” that the Israeli Football Association is violating international law.
She noted Canada Soccer had previously barred games against Russian teams after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “Canada Soccer can’t claim to be apolitical or neutral, because they’ve taken action before against international legal violations,” she told CBC News.
The campaign comes as pressure mounts internationally. The European soccer body UEFA is preparing a vote on whether to suspend Israel, while UN experts this week called on both FIFA and UEFA to ban Israel’s national and club teams from competition, citing “ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Israel’s critics argue it should face sporting isolation similar to Russia, which was barred from FIFA and UEFA competitions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Beyond soccer, protests against Israeli participation have spread across other sports and cultural arenas, including cycling, basketball, tennis, and even Eurovision.
Israel’s men’s team is scheduled to resume its World Cup qualifying campaign in two weeks with away matches against Norway and Italy.
CBC News reported it had reached out to Canada Soccer for comment but received no immediate response.
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