FIFA Plans Historic Israel-Palestine Youth Match to Open New U.S. Tournament

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FIFA is planning a September youth tournament in the United States and wants Israel and Palestine to play the opening match. The initiative, led by Gianni Infantino, is being presented as a peace-building effort, despite recent tensions at a FIFA congress in Vancouver.

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FIFA wants Israel and Palestine to open a new under-15 tournament in the United States.
Gianni Infantino says he wants football to serve as a peace tool.
FIFA plans to invite all 211 member associations, including suspended Russia.
The plan follows a failed handshake attempt at FIFA's Vancouver congress.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is promoting a controversial sports diplomacy initiative that would pair Israel’s boys’ team against a Palestinian team in a new youth tournament. The match is expected to open the event, which FIFA is planning for under-15 teams in the United States in September.

Although the tournament is not a formal World Cup, FIFA wants it to feel like a global football festival. The organization plans to invite all 211 member countries, including Russia, which remains suspended from senior official competitions.

Infantino’s goal is to use football as a tool for peace, and FIFA first revealed initial plans for the new age-group tournament in December. The Israel-Palestine opening match has been kept as FIFA’s flagship idea for the event.

The move comes only weeks after an embarrassing episode at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, where Infantino tried to stage a public handshake between Palestinian Football Association chairman Jibril Rajoub and Israel Football Association vice chairman Bassam Suleiman. Despite repeated appeals from Infantino on camera, Rajoub refused to stand beside the Israeli representative, leaving FIFA leadership visibly unable to manage the moment.

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