FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R) and US President Donald Trump pose during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh. AFP
Infantino was among more than 30 world leaders who attended the gathering in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, to witness the signing of a historic document to end the Israeli war on Gaza.
“It’s something that is really important for FIFA to be here to support, to help, to assist, to make sure that this peace process comes to fruition,” Infantino said after the signing.
He added that FIFA would help restore football in Gaza and the wider Palestinian territories by rebuilding facilities destroyed during the Gaza war, by launching a fund to develop new pitches and youth programmes.
“Football’s role has to be to support, to unite, to give hope,” Infantino said. “We will help to rebuild all the football facilities in Gaza, bring football back together with the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), and create opportunities for children through the game.”
He said FIFA would contribute with mini-pitches and “FIFA Arenas” and invite global partners to join the effort, adding that “Football brings hope to children, and it’s very, very important.”
Infantino’s pledge comes amid a growing international movement, led by prominent footballers, which has demanded that FIFA suspend Israel from international football competitions over its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Football Association, Israel has killed more than 800 athletes, including many footballers, in the Gaza war, and destroyed about 90 percent of the enclave’s sports infrastructure.
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