Spain threatens to boycott the 2026 World Cup, FIFA Sent a Warning

Spain is the favourite to win the tournament next summer.

Spanish government officials have suggested they can withdraw their national from the 2026 World Cup.

The biggest world football tournament will take place next summer in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the first time organised by three countries together.

European champions Spain are the top favourites under the bets to win the trophy and are on the right track to qualify, having won two wins from the first two matches in the qualifying phase.

But there are already suggestions that Luis de la Fuente's team could withdraw from the World Cup in protest if Israel manages to qualify.

Israel is currently third in its qualifying group, potentially to secure at least one seat in “play-off.” They are six points behind the leading Norway, but equal to Italy in the second country, with three remaining matches.

Only the group's winner automatically qualifies for the World Cup, while the second country has chances for play-off, depending on the results of other groups.

Spanish Government: Israel must be excluded from international sports

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for Israel to be excluded from international sports competitions because of his actions in Gaza.

Earlier this week, Sanchez said Israel should be treated the same as Russia, which was expelled from FIFA and UEFA following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to clear its image,” said Sanchez in front of representatives of the Social Workers' Party.

A UN investigative commission said on Tuesday there are strong “reasons to conclude that four out of five genocide acts, according to international law, were committed by Israel in Gaza.

The current conflict began with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th 2023, where about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.

Israel's revenge offensive has killed at least 64,964 Palestinians, according to the Hamas Health Ministry-controlled figures considered reliable by the UN.

Israel's Foreign Ministry has flatly rejected the UN report as distorted and false “,”, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has named Sanchez “a disgrace” for his comments.

Can Spain boycott the 2026 World Cup?

The Socialist Group's spokesman at the Spanish Congress, Patxi Lopez, has suggested that the government could vote for the World Cup boycott if Israel qualifies and is allowed to participate.

This comes after the public broadcaster RTVE has also threatened with boycotting the 2025 European Song Festival if Israel participates in following the example of the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland.

Confirming Sanchez's comments, Lopez urged the sports organisations of “to exclude” Israel from races, as it did with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

Asked whether Spain would withdraw if Israel participates in the World Cup, Lopez told COOPE: “we would later consider” and that a request could be made “at the right time” unless measures are taken against Israel.

The government's spokeswoman and Sports Minister, Pilar Alegria, has also called for Israel to be excluded from international competitions due to the worsening situation in Gaza.

“Sport is not and cannot be an island independent of what happens in the real world, especially when the real world tells us that human rights are being destroyed,” she said.

FIFA and UEFA have not yet reacted publicly to Sanchez, Lopez and Alegria's comments.