The Palestinian Football Association issued a strongly worded statement in which it attacked FIFA, the International Football Association, demanding the application of the principles of transparency, governance, and accountability, and an end to what it described as a policy of postponement that has harmed Palestinian football over the years.
The Palestinian Association said in its statement: "There is a state of growing controversy among FIFA member associations regarding transparency, governance, and accountability at a pivotal moment for world football. We have waited, engaged constructively, and respected all FIFA procedures, yet Palestinian football has suffered unprecedented harm, despite having granted the current leadership our trust twice since 2015, believing that reform means implementation."
It added: "Amid the Israeli war on Gaza, our football system has incurred catastrophic losses, with more than 1,013 players, coaches, referees, administrators, and members of the football family martyred. Stadiums, training centers, and infrastructure have been systematically destroyed, our local competitions have halted, and our national teams are no longer able to play on their home soil."
The statement continued: "Over these years, the repeated postponements were not a form of neutrality but contributed to the continuation of violations. Despite more than fifteen years passing, the fundamental issues before FIFA remain stuck in a cycle of reviews, reports, and postponements, at a time when Palestinian football faces an existential threat."
The Association criticized the continued participation of settlement clubs, affirming: "The continued participation of settlement clubs established on occupied Palestinian land reflects a failure to implement FIFA regulations and protect the territorial integrity of member associations. Silence in the face of what is happening amounts to complicity, while recent initiatives related to developing football in Gaza, carried out through a non-football political entity and without involving the Palestinian Association, have raised concerns about FIFA bypassing its own institutions."
The Palestinian Association concluded by saying: "Palestinian football can no longer tolerate promises instead of actions. With the discussion on the future of FIFA leadership beginning, we demand greater transparency, accountability, and democratic governance—demands Palestine has been calling for more than fifteen years. Our cause is not about who leads FIFA, but whether FIFA is prepared to lead according to principles. Football requires democratic, transparent leadership that protects the rights of all member associations and applies its regulations to everyone without fear or favoritism."