In the next two weeks, UEFA, the governing body of European football, has announced the suspension of all football matches in Israel. This decision comes in the wake of an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which resulted in significant casualties. Israel subsequently declared war after the attack.
The highly anticipated Euro 2024 qualifier between Switzerland and Israel, scheduled to take place at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv tomorrow, has also been postponed by UEFA. The organization stated that the match will be rescheduled “in light of the security situation.”
Israel is supposed to play against Kosovo in the Euro 2024 qualification on September 15 in Pristina. Whether the match will be held as scheduled or not will depend on the evolving situation in the coming days, as UEFA will continue to monitor the circumstances closely. UEFA emphasized that they will keep in touch with all participating teams before announcing any new decisions or schedules.
The list of postponed matches has been published by the BBC. Apart from the Euro 2024 qualifiers, two matches in the 2025 Under-21 Euro qualifiers have also been postponed: Israel vs. Estonia on October 12 and Israel vs. Germany on October 17. Both matches were supposed to be held in Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli club Maccabi Haifa is participating in the UEFA Europa League this season and will play against the Spanish club Villarreal after the international break. Maccabi Haifa will host Villarreal at their home ground on November 7.
The situation remains fluid, and UEFA will continue to assess and make decisions based on the safety and security conditions in the region before rescheduling any matches.
