FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an interview aired on Monday that he opposes calls to bar Israel from international soccer, calling such a move “a defeat” and urging the sport to keep political doors open even amid conflicts.

Infantino told Sky News that FIFA should consider changing its statutes to “never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders,” and argued that maintaining competition helps reduce “frustration and hatred.”

He linked his stance on Israel to broader opposition to sporting boycotts, questioning why soccer should be targeted when businesses and diplomats are not and insisting the World Cup must remain a rare space where people “meet around the passion” for the game.

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