According to L'Équipe, FIFA has proposed a match between Palestine and Israel to open the U-15 World Cup in the United States.

According to L'Équipe, FIFA has proposed a match between Palestine and Israel to open the U-15 World Cup in the United States. Sports is politics, and so is football. FIFA has proposed a highly symbolic opening match for this worldwide U-15 tournament: Palestine against Israel.

This move comes after representatives of the two football associations failed to complete a handshake and photo opportunity. The two countries have been at war since the attacks of October 7, 2023. FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that this global event, to be held in the United States in September, will see "all 211 nations invited, with children from all over the world participating."

Among these invited nations, Russia is also included. Russia has been banned from all FIFA-organized competitions since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.