"We could take them away," Trump said before stating, "I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good." Although he gave no specifics, he asserted that "they're taking over parts of Boston," adding a promise that "we could get them back in about two seconds."

The Trump administration has already deployed National Guard troops to both Memphis and Washington, and legal disputes have arisen from efforts to deploy them in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago. Wu's office did not directly address the president's threat; instead, they released a statement: "Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions."

Trump also threatened to move the Olympics from Los Angeles over similar concerns.

"If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location if I had to," he said. "On that one I'd probably have to get a different kind of a permission, but we would do that," Trump said on the 2028 Games, although such a decision ultimatley rests with the International Olympic Committee.

Trump's statement was made during his meeting with Argentina President Javier Milei, and the exact meaning of his reference to parts of Boston being seized was initially unclear. The statement follows several arrests and injuries to four police officers during a violent pro-Palestinian protest on Boston Common earlier this month, according to the AP.

Trump previously suggested he might declare cities "not safe" for the 104-game soccer tournament and alter a detailed hosting arrangement that FIFA confirmed back in 2022. This plan includes holding matches at NFL stadiums located near New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the AP said.

The authority to select World Cup host sites does not belong to Trump. FIFA has contracts with the 11 US cities – in addition to three in Mexico and two in Canada – and the organization would face substantial legal and logistical challenges to implement changes only eight months before the June 11 kickoff. FIFA's vice president Victor Montagliani said earlier this month at a sports business conference in London, "It's FIFA's tournament, FIFA's jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions," AP reported. Nonetheless, Trump asserted, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA who's phenomenal – and I would say, 'Let's move into another location' and they would do that." The president was referring to FIFA head Gianni Infantino, who is a close ally. Trump indicated that Infantino "wouldn't love to do it, but he'd do it very easily," the AP concluded.

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A FIFA investigation was launched last year regarding claims of discrimination by the Palestinian soccer Association against the Israeli association. FIFA is also investigating whether teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank playing in Israeli competitions violate its rules. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has a close relationship with US President Donald Trump and regularly visits the White House, as reported by Sky News. Infantino, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly this week, referenced the war during a speech about a "divided world, in an aggressive world," after receiving an award.

Referencing the difficulty of sanctioning countries, Infantino said there are 80 ongoing conflicts. He added, "I suffer when I see children suffer. I cry when I see mothers crying, whether it's in Gaza... anywhere in the world." Sky News reported yesterday that European soccer officials are holding high-level talks about a possible ban, though no decision has been reached. Officials have debated why Russia remains banned for the war in Ukraine, yet Israel can still play in European competitions. UEFA, the European soccer federation where Israel plays and through which it would try to qualify for the tournament, previously said the conflicts started differently, with Russia's unprovoked invasion and Israel's response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. However, a UN commission has since accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, which Israel denies, leading to UN advisers calling for Israeli teams to be expelled.

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Israel's under-20 national soccer team on Thursday fell to Uruguay 1-0 in the FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer semifinals match, bowing out of the tournament.

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The Israeli team made local soccer history last week when it defeated Brazil 3-2 in the quarter-finals in Argentina, after an epic match that went into overtime.

Despite an evenly played first half, neither Israel or the South American side could find the back of the net.

Uruguay came out of the break the stronger side, breaking the deadlock halfway through the second frame on an Anderson Duarte goal, in what would be the eventual match winner.

Israel's cinderella story came to a close despite the Blue and Whites leading the statistics throughout the match, including having a surprisingly large lions share of possession, shots, and passes.

While Israel has been eliminated from making the final of the competition, they will face the losing side of the second semifinal between South Korea and Italy in the third place match.

The young Israelis will leave Argentina having etched their names into the country's soccer history books: The u-20 squad recorded Israel's first ever FIFA World Cup win, knockout stage qualification, and knockout stage win in any FIFA World Cup tournament ever, both on the senior and youth level.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Now that the final curtain has come down on the 2022 World Cup, at FIFA the countdown to the next tournament scheduled for summer 2026 is already underway. Five years ago, the decision was made that the 2026 World Cup would take place for the first time in three different countries – the US, Mexico and Canada – and for the first time 48 national teams would take part in it.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is the man responsible for increasing the size of the tournament by 50%, and the motives for this are crystal clear: increasing the revenues of the international football association and bolstering his own political status as head of the organization. More national teams mean more votes in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections.

But there is one issue that Infantino and his board of advisers have not addressed: how exactly is this monster-sized World Cup tournament going to work? Until very recently the idea was to divide up the 48 national teams into 16 groups with only three teams in each one. The top two teams in each group will then qualify and advance to the knockout stage. According to this method, there will be 80 games (instead of 64 under the current system), and the tournament, as it is now, will last for four weeks.

Apart from the fact that there will be 16 teams that will play only two matches before returning home, at first glance it doesn't appear to be such a bad solution. But the wise men of FIFA have not taken into account the fact that in a 3-team group, in each round there will always be one national team not playing a match, which will inevitably lead to a situation in which the two teams competing in the last group stage match will know precisely what outcome suits them in order to advance – and to send the third team home.

The infamous "Disgrace of Gijón" match held in Spain during the 1982 World Cup is still fresh in the memories of many football fans. West Germany and Austria colluded to secure a 1:0 win for the Germans, leading to the elimination of Algeria from the tournament, who had already finished their group stage matches at that point.

This incident led to a change being introduced in 1986, and the third and final group stage round would now be held with both matches taking place simultaneously to prevent similar acts of non-sporting behavior.

This welcome change has led to intensely dramatic scenes unfolding over the years, such as what happened now in Qatar in Group E, when the group table standings were repeatedly turned on their head before it was finally decided that Japan and Spain would proceed to the Final 16, while Germany and Costa Rica were eliminated.

104 games in five weeks                                                          

The most amazing fact is that FIFA has not commented on this issue, though a fair number of commentators have written about it. Former Arsenal manager and FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, referred to this only last weekend.

He did not rule out the original idea of the 16 three-team group format but added that an additional two alternatives are currently being examined. One idea is to have 12 four-team groups, with the first and second-place teams qualifying automatically for the knockout stage, while the eight best third-place finishers would also advance to the Final 16 stage.

The second idea is slightly more complicated: the 48 national teams competing in the World Cup will be divided into two separate tournaments. Each 24-team tournament will comprise six groups of four teams.

In each tournament, the six group winners will advance to the knockout stage along with the two best second-place teams. Following the quarterfinals and semifinals in each individual tournament, the last four teams (the two winners of the semifinal matches in each tournament) will then compete for the title based on the "Final Four" system.

In both of these proposed formats, the tournament would involve 104 soccer matches, lasting for five weeks, and this is where the genuine problem lies. The football clubs – who pay the players' wages – will clearly be adamantly opposed to this, and we should not forget the fans and the media too, for whom this would be an unprecedented, exorbitantly expensive and fatiguing event.

But that's not all: since the World Cup shifted from a format of 24 to 32 national teams, the need for internal rating of the best second-place teams in each group has been abandoned.

A shift to a 48-team competition would take us back to this most unhealthy state of affairs, as then the decision as to who advances would be based on goal difference, and there are always differences between the various groups in terms of the quality of the national teams. Once again, those teams playing last in the group stage schedule will know precisely what result they need to progress.

Wenger said that a decision on the competition format will be made only next year, but it is already clear that the move to a 48-team World Cup is extremely problematic, and will face considerable, severe criticism.

All the way to New York                                                                  

In the meantime, FIFA has already decided on the distribution of tickets for the next World Cup according to continents. Europe will send 16 teams (instead of 13); South America will send six teams, with the option of one more in a playoff (instead of 4+1); Africa will be represented by nine teams with the option of an additional one (instead of five); and Asia will be able to send eight teams with the option of an additional team too (instead of 4+1). The three host nations will of course qualify automatically.

An additional three national teams will qualify from North America and Central America with the option of two teams qualifying from the playoff, while Oceania will have one guaranteed place and an additional team to qualify from the playoff. Six teams will take part in the playoff tournament (from all the continents apart from Europe), and the top two sides will complete the puzzle of the 48 participating nations.

The final dates of the World Cup will be determined only after the format has been decided, in summer 2023. The host cities of the various matches and the division between the host countries have already been decided. There are to be 11 in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The venue for the final has yet to be published, but it appears to be patently clear that this will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New York – the home of New York's two famous football teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

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LUSAIL, Qatar –

Wow. Wow. Wow, times 1000. My heart is beating at 180 pulses a minute and I am still trying to wrap my head around what my eyes have seen. There is no Hollywood script that could ever match what unfolded in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France on Sunday. The thriller was a nail-biter all the way to the end, culminating with the happy ending that had become a global consensus: Argentina is the fresh champion; Lionel Messi is the new GOAT.

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This was undoubtedly the best soccer match ever; the best World Cup final one could imagine. Two superstars Kylian Mbappé and Messi in a game that would surely be talked about for years to come. Countless upsets that defied any logic, with fans rooting like mad from the bleachers and billions watching at home – and everyone in disbelief. The tension,  closing the 2-goal gap, the joy turning to despair and vice versa, and the prayers – wow, there were prayers heard all across the globe and they were mostly directed at one person, who may be only 5 feet tall but is also a one-in-a-lifetime magician who got the official certification on Sunday that he is number one.

Nothing could have prepared us for the drama that we saw over the 120-plus minutes of the game. It was basically dominated by one side for 80 minutes; it was almost boring, with Argentina scoring two goals, first by Messi and then by Ángel Di María. The Albiceleste fans in the stands continued with their enthusiastic singing that has become such a part of the team's experience over the past month whenever their team played – you could hear them on the streets of Doha, on the subway system, and on the way to the stadiums and of course in the stadium, whose fans were almost without exception dressed in sky-blue and white; only a few pockets of fans wearing the tricolor were noticeable.

Then came the successor, Mbappé, and in what was a stellar personal drive managed to score two equalizers in one minute. The Argentina fans thought they were going to collapse; the French were ecstatic. Even when the match dragged into stoppage time and then extra time, the tit-for-tat continued, with Mbappé once again equalizing after Messi – in his seventh goal this tournament – brought Argentina to a short-lived one-goal advantage. Mbappé's Hanukkah miracle, on the first night of the holiday, resulted in this crazy match reaching a point that is inherently not suitable when it comes to determining which of the best two national teams should win.

Then when the penalty kicks began, it was only Argentina that dominated, mainly thanks to the great performance of its goalie Emiliano Martínez. The man who managed to save them from defeat in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands did it again and then burst into tears. All the Argentinian players cried with him, as did the thousands in the stand who had waited 36 years for this moment. The only person who did not shed a tear was Messi, who in this tournament showed different traits: leadership, maturity, and as someone who could finally fill Diego Maradona's shoes and take with him 40 million of his compatriots all the way to the holy grail.

The French players, who came back from the dead, looked like a train wreck at the end. They were so close to grabbing another championship, the second in a row. Ultimately, despite Mbappé's amazing game (he so desperately wanted to have the trophy for his birthday this week), no one is going to remember their performance in this World Cup. What will linger is the fact that Argentina won its third World Cup and the jubilation that will follow, as this soccer-obsessed nation celebrates for many days to come to distract from the many problems.

The joy on the pitch continue well after the game was over. Messi swung the cup wearing the black and gold gilded robe he got from the Qatar emir, and then ran off to hug his wife and kids. One picture of the Messi family, speaking and smiling caught my eye. Every other player would have been overcome with emotion at this moment, but Messi – who lives in his own universe, was cool as a cucumber as if he was enjoying a family picnic that just happened to coincide with him holding the most prized trophy in the world.

The Argentinian fans who could not get enough of the celebrations inside the stadium continued partying outside the venue all through the capital city of Doha, which had live-performance stages dotting the entire metropolis. But nothing could upstage the best show in town: the throngs of Argentinians having the time of their lives. Their solidarity with their national team, which started well before the match began, dragged on and on for hours upon hours after the final whistle had been blown, and will surely continue until the team touches down in Buenos Aires.

The world-class performance we saw in the final was a proper final note for a fantastic World Cup with superb quality on display throughout. Yes, this was a treacherous and tainted road – from having to move the tournament to the winter to the thousands of dead construction works and the prohibition of alcohol and protesting anti-LBGT law- but as far as the soccer that was on display, the past month brought the most popular game in the world to new heights. It is doubtful that we will get to see such games in the near future.

As far as Qatar is concerned, that is all that matters. It ran a smooth and impressive tournament, which is no small feat for such a tiny country that had never hosted events of such magnitude. The effort the rulers took in making sure this was a success is seen in every corner, not just in the games, but on the streets as well. Qatar showed the world a smiling face, which was only marred occasionally by political demonstrations (mainly from Morocco's team). It also had the good luck of having the best two teams reach the final, with its two crown jewels of Messi and Mbappé – both play in the Qatari-owned team Paris Saint-Germain F.C. It essentially proved that there is nothing money can't buy.

Starting Monday, Qatar will once again be what is used to be: a rich sheikhdom that is both religious and conservative. But anyone who has had the chance of visiting it over the past several weeks will never forget the magic that was part of this tournament, and especially the final: a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is almost supernatural. Perhaps the only thing one can say is, Thank you. Thank you for having the privilege of seeing this match, these players, and being part of an event that most likely won't be replicated in the future.

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The eyes of the world will be focused Tuesday on the Lusail Stadium just outside the Qatari capital, for the first of the World Cup semifinals, between Argentina and Croatia, which will also pit against each other the greatest soccer geniuses of the generation: Lionel Messi and Luca Modric.

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In the stands, the Argentina fans will be dominant. Croatia will hardly have any fans present, and one can safely assume that among viewers at home (with the exception of fans in Brazil and Croatia) Argentina will enjoy overwhelming support, and fans around the world will be united in prayer that Messi will take another step toward the one title he has yet to win. The outpouring of love and support for "The flea" crosses all borders. An Indian souvenir salesman in the Doha bazaar was singing songs of praise for Messi yesterday in the hope of attracting buyers. When I asked him Why just Messi, he answered with a smile. "I don't know anything about football, except Messi."

The Qatari World Cup hosts and FIFA, the world soccer governing body, would both like to see Messi reach the final, and not just because without him it will be much less interesting. About a year and a half ago, the Qatari's invested an absolute fortune to bring him to Paris St. Germain, the French side they own. From their perspective, Messi reaching the final will justify their investment and leverage its value. If Messi's PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé reaches the final with France, the Qataris will have been able to say to themselves that they scored big time their two diamonds facing off in the head-to-head on the biggest and most important stage of them all.

But until that happens, we have two semifinals to get through. The fan favorites on the streets of Doha are clear for all to see, Argentina and Morocco. The pundits and the non-partisan fans at home want to see Argentina face France in the final. Ticket prices are soaring. A good seat for the semifinal Tuesday will cost 1,200 euros on average, while for tomorrow's second semifinal between France and Morocco tickets start at 1,600 euros.

Hearing Hebrew in Doha

The fans on the streets of the Qatari capital are now mostly just those of the four semifinalists. But Hebrew now seems to be heard much more on the streets, although the presence of Israeli fans is marginal of course when compared to the massive number of Palestinian fans. Yet, most of the Israelis aren't bothering to hide where they are from.

The temporary Foreign Ministry consular mission set up, especially for the World Cup (and which will be dismantled as soon as the competition is over) has so far mostly helped out Israelis who have lost their passports. Yossi Zilberman the spokesperson for the Israeli consular delegation said yesterday that most of the Israelis have heeded the warnings issued by the Foreign Ministry and the Healthy World Cup initiative. Verbal abuse suffered by Israelis, he said, has been marginal. "To be honest, we have to say honestly, the majority of the Israelis here have enjoyed the experience without any problems. We haven't received complaints about physical or verbal violence"

Zilberman meanwhile, paid a visit to the bazaar Monday to buy an Argentina shirt. Having served previously at the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, he is supporting the Albicelestes. "But only because Israel didn't make it to the World Cup," he says with a smile. Zilberman doesn't have a ticket yet, but he's optimistic and some of his colleagues have already managed to attend games at the tournament.

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These really are pinch-yourself times for Morocco: A first ever spot in the quarterfinals of a World Cup  – the first to take place in the Arab world, no less – and now a meeting with Portugal and its superstar striker, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well, maybe.

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Because Ronaldo has again managed to steal the spotlight in his inimitable way, even bumping Morocco's historic run to the last eight off the top of the agenda ahead of Saturday's narrative-laden match.

Will he start, or won't he? That's the big question being asked about Ronaldo after he was dropped by Portugal coach Fernando Santos for the 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

Not only was the five-time world player of the year relegated to the bench, his replacement – 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos  – scored a hat trick to leave Santos with quite the selection dilemma against Morocco.

The announcement of Portugal's team some 90 minutes before the game is keenly awaited as Ronaldo prepares to play in the quarterfinals of the World Cup for just the second time in his glittering career. Portugal is at this stage for only the third time, perhaps surprising given the talent to have come from the country down the years.

As for Morocco, the nation is in uncharted territory after becoming only the fourth African country to reach the quarterfinals at soccer's biggest tournament, after Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010). None of them reached the semifinals. Morocco is also the only team from outside Europe or South America to make it to the last eight in Qatar.

Its penalty-shootout victory over Spain in the last 16 sparked wild celebrations not just among its many fans in Qatar but at home and also in the Moroccan diaspora of around 5 million people spread mostly around Europe, which has united behind the World Cup run of the team nicknamed the "Atlas Lions."

Morocco fans poured into the streets of European cities to celebrate the team's passage to the quarterfinals, which came after Morocco advanced from a group containing second-ranked Belgium and 2018 runner-up Croatia.

The team is coached by Walid Regragui, who was born in France, and 14 of the 26 players in the squad were born abroad – the highest proportion for any team at a World Cup being held in the Middle East for the first time in its 92-year history.

The Arab world's standard bearer, Morocco is in the quarterfinals on merit, too. The team has only conceded one goal – and that was an own-goal against Canada – and is proving so well-organized, with a sturdy back four headlined by Achraf Hakimi, a dedicated midfield anchorman in Sofyan Amrabat, two mercurial wingers in Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal, and a striker in Youssef En-Nesyri who occupies defenses with his relentless work rate.

Three key players might be struggling to be healthy enough to play against Portugal, though. Amrabat said he played with a back injury requiring painkilling injections in the match against Spain, during which captain Romain Saiss finished the game with his leg bandaged up after treatment and fellow center back Nayef Aguerd hobbled off in tears with an apparent thigh injury.

Portugal doesn't appear to have such problems, with Santos' squad depth so impressive that he could afford to leave players like Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves on the bench against Switzerland after they started every group game.

Santos said he picks his team according to the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent but it will be a surprise if he makes any changes after a match that thrust Portugal among the tournament favorites.

Even if he starts as a substitute again, Ronaldo – playing in his likely last World Cup – is expected to see some time on the field. Given the drama constantly surrounding him, he's sure to be a talking point whatever happens.

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The Iranian decision to attack the Zircon oil tanker, which is linked to Israeli businessman Idan Ofer, raises two quick, seemingly contradictory, insights: The first, that Iran is in a predicament and needs operational achievements; the second, that its self-confidence is high, and its leaders are convinced that they will not pay a price for their actions.

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In Israel yesterday it was difficult to pinpoint a direct motive for the attack. This could have been revenge for the attack last week that was attributed to the Israeli Air Force, in which an arms smuggling operation was thwarted and oil tankers were damaged on the Syria-Iraq border. It could also be the continuation of Iran's efforts to revenge a series of actions attributed to Israel on its own soil, in an attempt to create a balance of deterrence that will deter it from conducting similar actions in the future. It is also possible that this is connected to the World Cup; an attempt to instill fear in Israeli soccer fans and prevent some of them from coming to Qatar, in order to harm efforts of bringing Jerusalem and Doha closer together.

This was the eleventh attack attributed to Iran against assets in the Persian Gulf since 2016. Some of them were directed against Israeli-owned vessels, in order to take revenge for actions claimed to be implemented by Israel against Iranian ships or efforts to smuggle Iranian oil to Syria and Lebanon. The most severe attack in this chain of events was carried out in July 2021 on the Mercer Street oil tanker, which was owned by a foreign company belonging to businessman Eyal Ofer, Idan's brother. A drone that exploded on the vessel's deck killed two sailors with European citizenship – a Romanian captain and a British security guard – and led to sharp criticism against Tehran, which has since frozen its offensive activity in the Gulf.

Now Iran has decided to return to this method of operation. It is likely that, just as in the previous events, the attacking drone was launched by the Revolutionary Guards, under the command of Aerospace Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh, one of the dominant players in Iran today, who holds a lot of power since the assassination of the commander of the Qods Force Qassem Soleimani. In all these cases an identical Shahed-136 drone was used. However, it seems that in yesterday's attack it was not armed or an extremely small explosive warhead was used, in order for the signaling to be of sufficient intensity, and to avoid significant damage.

Israel yesterday tried to leverage this attack into a בampaign against Tehran. As expected, the use of the same drone that Iran supplies to Moscow in the war in Ukraine was highlighted, as well as what was defined as "an Iranian effort to sabotage the World Cup". From past experience, it is doubtful whether this event will succeed in generating negative energy towards Tehran, which is already suffering from harsh international criticism following the events that started out with the death of the young woman Mahsa Amini and developed into the "Hijab Protest," that has been taunting the authorities in Tehran for more than two months.

New Friends

Iran's confrontational posture should concern Israel to a great extent for a number of reasons, chiefly among them being American weakness (demonstrated by Washington's eagerness to return to the nuclear agreement), and the alliance forged by Iran with Russia and China, which puts it in a stronger position than it was previously. For the first time, it currently finds itself not in a dependent position vis-a-vis Moscow, but with the ability to manage mutual interests, which it will try to leverage for future achievements in Syria and other zones.

Iran is using the self-confidence it gained as a result to intensify its attempts to attack Israel. This is true in the incessant efforts to smuggle arms to Syria and Lebanon, and is true in the endless efforts to attack Israeli and Jewish targets abroad.

Although it failed (and was humiliated) in Istanbul last summer, Iran tried (and failed and was humiliated again) this week in Georgia. The lesson is clear: Iran will continue to try, almost everywhere and all the time, which requires Israel to uphold its expansive and complex intelligence and security efforts.

This effort does not include protecting the economic interests of Israeli citizens, definitely not those operating in foreign countries and under a foreign flag – such as the ship that was attacked yesterday. Even so, this attack should also not be regarded as an attack on a financial company owned by an Israeli citizen, but as an attack on the State of Israel. This attack was certainly a failure, but despite this, it shows more than anything else that there is not, and will never be, any chance of amity with Iran. In the future, Israel will be forced to continue to take action against Iranian targets, both on Iranian soil and around the world, in order to deter and demand a price.

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Israelis will be able to attend 2022 World Cup games in Qatar, Israeli ministers said on Thursday, in a move they said would open "a new door" to a country with which Israel does not currently have formal diplomatic relations.

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The agreement, which came after months of talks with FIFA, was announced by Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Sports Minister Chili Tropper.

"Love of football and sport connects people and states, and the World Cup in November opens a new door for us to warm ties," the statement quoted Lapid as saying. The Israel team failed to qualify for the tournament.

Qatar, a small but wealthy Gulf Arab state, will host the first World Cup in the Middle East, starting in late November. Qatar World Cup officials have repeatedly said that all nationalities are welcome during the tournament. All ticketholders must apply for the Hayya card, a fan identification, which doubles as their entry visa to Qatar.

Unlike its Gulf Arab neighbors Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which recently signed historic agreements with Israel, Qatar has conditioned normalizing relations on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

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The International Olympic Committee's executive board has recommended that international sports federations ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events, the IOC said on Monday, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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The IOC said the executive board made the decision "in order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants."

The Global Athlete movement, which aims to empower athletes, said IOC's statement fell short.

"The #IOC refuses to fully suspend the Russian & Belarus NOC," it said on Twitter. "The #IPC needs to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarus Paralympic Committees @Olympics @Paralympics athletes have seen these PR stints in the past."

The statement from IOC comes shortly before the Winter Paralympics, which starts in Beijing on Friday.

Sports bodies across Europe moved Monday to further isolate and condemn Russia following its invasion of Ukraine by refusing to host or play against teams from the country.

Finland wants the Russian hockey team to be banned from the men's world championships it will host in May, the Swiss soccer federation said its women's team will not play Russia in July at the European Championship, and German soccer club Schalke said it had decided to end its longstanding partnership with Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

However, the wave of opposition to Russian teams and athletes has not yet extended to a ban. Nor has the International Olympic Committee officially suspended Russia or Belarus, which has allowed its land to be used for troops and launching military strikes against Ukraine.

FIFA, the governing body of soccer, has so far declined to ban Russia from the World Cup. The Russian team, which FIFA said will have to compete as Football Union of Russia as punishment, had been scheduled to host Poland on March 24 in a World Cup qualifying playoff. But Poland and Russia's next potential opponents, Sweden and the Czech Republic, have all said they would refuse to take the field.

"The Swedish Football Association is disappointed with FIFA's decision but is determined to continue to work together with other federations to cancel Russia's matches in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers," the body said Monday, citing the "illegal and deeply unjust invasion of Ukraine."

The World Cup is scheduled to begin on Nov. 21 in Qatar.

In European club soccer, Russian team Spartak Moscow is still scheduled to play next week in the Europa League against German club Leipzig. European governing body UEFA allowed Spartak to take its place in the round of 16 draw on Friday, one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion to start.

There is precedent for removing Russian teams from sports. In 1992, following United Nations sanctions, FIFA and UEFA expelled Yugoslavia from its competitions when war broke out in the Balkans.

Besides Schalke's effort to drop Gazprom as a partner, UEFA is also expected to see if it can nullify its sponsorship deals with the company. Gazprom sponsors both the Champions League and the European Championship.

FIFA has attracted the most criticism among sports bodies for allowing Russia to continue competing, at least for now, in the World Cup qualifying playoffs. It has kept open the option of a ban.

Instead of banning the team, FIFA attempted to compromise by ordering Russia to play at neutral venues without its flag and anthem and under the name of its federation – the Football Union of Russia.

That aligns with sanctions imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December 2020 to punish Russia for state-backed doping and cover-ups of cheating, and applied at last year's Tokyo Olympics and this year's Winter Games in Beijing.

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The Russian soccer team was already due to play under those conditions if they qualified for the World Cup because of the doping scandals. FIFA's decision to apply the conditions to a regional sports event – European qualification games – is the only element of punishment for the war.

If Russia were to play Poland as scheduled on March 24 and win, the team would then face either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29.

Swedish soccer federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson, who is also the senior vice president at UEFA, said Sunday he expected a "sharper stance" from FIFA.
Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza said Sunday it was "totally unacceptable" that FIFA had not immediately expelled Russia from World Cup qualifying and said Poland is "not interested in participating in this game of appearances."

Another of Russia's future opponents, Albania, also said Sunday it would not play against that country in any sports. Russia and Albania are scheduled to meet twice in June in the UEFA Nations League soccer tournament. The group also includes Iceland and Israel.

In hockey, the sport's governing body has come under pressure from Finland and Switzerland to ban Russia and Belarus, which are both due to play at the world championships in May in Helsinki and Tampere.

Finnish Hockey Association chairman Harri Nummela said in a statement Monday it had talks with the Zurich-based IIHF to exclude the two countries from the sport internationally.

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