FIFA president Gianni Infantino vowed to rebuild all football facilities in Gaza following last weekend’s ceasefire in the besieged territory as he attended the Summit for Peace in Egypt on Monday.
The summit, co-chaired by United States President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, was aimed at supporting the recently-established ceasefire, end the two-year war, and develop long-term stability and reconstruction plans for Gaza.
It brought together leaders from the Muslim and Arab world, as well as top European heads of state, including UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Infantino’s presence was one of the most striking moments of the event, marking an unusual and notable appearance for a sports figure at a high-level political summit.
“Well, football’s role has to be to support, has to be to unite, has to be to give hope in the region,“ Infantino said. “In Gaza, in Palestine, we will, of course, help to rebuild all the football facilities.
“We will help to bring football back — together with the Palestinian Football Association — in every corner of the country.
“We will bring (footballs), we will build pitches, we will bring instructors, we will help organise competitions, we will launch a fund to help rebuild football infrastructure in Palestine,” he said.
He stated that FIFA has contributed with mini-pitches, with the FIFA Arena programme, adding: “We want the whole world to contribute, because football brings hope to children — it’s very, very important.”
Infantino also underscored the “critical leadership” provided by Trump, FIFAreported.
“The role of President Trump has been absolutely fundamental and crucial in the process. Without President Trump, there would be no peace.
“President Trump has broken down barriers, has built bridges, has put people together, and actually together with Egypt, together with Qatar, together with Turkiye and other countries he mentioned them as well — from Saudi Arabia, to (the United Arab Emirates), to Indonesia, to Bahrain, to Jordan, all these countries here in the Middle East who have supported this process.
“But, under the leadership of President Trump, it happened, and now we can really write some new pages. Pages of togetherness, of peace, in a region which really, really needs it.”
Separately in a post on LinkedIn, Infantino thanked Trump for inviting him to the summit. “I made it clear to all world leaders that FIFA is here to help, to assist and to put ourselves at disposal for whatever we can do to make sure that this peace process comes to fruition and to the best possible end.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
Last week, Amnesty International sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
Infantino said last week that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s genocide in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.