FIFA postponed its decision regarding the Palestinian Football Association’s (PFA’) request to suspend the Israel Football Association (IFA) from international football, FIFA announced on Friday.

FIFA explained that the independent legal assessment of the Palestinian proposals against “Israel” was initially scheduled to be delivered to the FIFA Council by July 20, 2024. However, due to requests for extensions from both parties involved, FIFA has granted additional time to ensure the assessment is conducted thoroughly. 

The final assessment is now expected to be presented to the FIFA Council no later than August 31, 2024.

This delay means that the “Israeli” national football team will be eligible to participate in the Paris Olympics, which are set to begin on July 26, with the men's gold medal match scheduled for August 9.

The PFA, led by President Jibril Rajoub, called for “Israel's” suspension during FIFA’s 74th Congress in Bangkok in May. 

Rajoub criticized FIFA for its perceived lack of urgency and severity compared to other cases, questioning how much longer the Palestinian football community must endure without action.