FIFA President Infantino and UEFA President Čeferin have been accused of aiding and abetting war crimes (specifically, the transfer of civilian population into occupied territories) and crimes against humanity (specifically, apartheid) under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Communication was formally filed with the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on 16 February 2026.
Illegal settlement clubs
The complaint centres on FIFA and UEFA's inclusion of Israeli football clubs based in illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory that were built on land stolen from Palestinian people. FIFA and UEFA permit these clubs to play in leagues organised by the Israel Football Association and host matches on the seized land. They also provide financial and structural support to settlement clubs, some of which have played in the UEFA-organised competitions.
Presidents of UEFA and FIFA cooperated with the highest levels of the Israeli and US governments to facilitate the continued participation of Israel FA and settlement clubs, and to shield them from accountability
Legitimisation of illegal occupation
In addition to being in breach of FIFA and UEFA Statutes, this practice normalises life in the settlements and legitimises Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, contributing to the transfer of civilian population into occupied territories contrary to the Rome Statute art 8(2)(b)(viii). The practice also aids and abets apartheid (a crime against humanity pursuant to Rome Statute art 7(1)(j)) – Palestinians are not allowed to enter the matches as spectators, play for, or become managers of, the illegal settlement clubs. Settlements are a part of the Israeli government's colonial project and UEFA and FIFA's policies under the political leadership of their Presidents assist with the conduct of these criminal activities.
Disregarding human rights reports
The Presidents of FIFA and UEFA have acted in full knowledge that these practices constitute the commission of human rights violations, apartheid, and war crimes, and have ignored multiple reports and letters addressed to them by UN human rights experts, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Members of the European Parliament, among many others.
Political interference
Evidence also demonstrates that the Presidents of UEFA and FIFA cooperated with the highest levels of the Israeli and US governments to facilitate the continued participation of Israel FA and settlement clubs, and to shield them from accountability. Instead of applying FIFA Statutes and expelling the settlement clubs, Mr Infantino has led FIFA in suppressing all efforts of the Palestine Football Association to regain legal and political jurisdiction over their territory. He also ignored the warning of FIFA's Israel-Palestine Monitoring Committee that maintaining the status quo lacked international legitimacy and disregarded its recommendation to expel settlement clubs or sanction the Israel Football Association. Under the political leadership of Mr Čeferin, UEFA has effectively extended its own territory and administrative jurisdiction into the occupied Palestine – i.e., into areas falling under the jurisdiction of Palestine Football Association and thus the Asian Football Confederation.
Lawyers behind the complaint consider that "this is an excellent opportunity for the ICC to set a much-needed precedent. FIFA and UEFA are powerful private regulatory monopolies performing quasi-public functions with revenues that exceed the GDP of many countries in the world. These global corporations are operating with impunity and there are no effective internal or external accountability mechanisms for them or their leaders for violations of human rights and international law."
Filing parties submitted a 120-page filing and evidence to the Office of Prosecutor of the ICC on 16 of February. The Submitting Parties include a group of Palestinian footballers, Palestinian clubs, owners of the land, a human rights organisation in Palestine, and advocacy groups: Irish Sport for Palestine, Scottish Sport for Palestine, Just Peace Advocates, Sport Scholars for Justice in Palestine, and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.
