Fifa cannot solve geopolitical problems, but the organization can and must promote football around the world by utilizing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values, said Gianni Infantino, chairman of Fifa, during his opening speech at the meeting, according to a press release from the football organization.
According to information to the Norwegian news agency NTB, the issue of an exclusion of Israel was not on the agenda for Thursday's board meeting.
Our thoughts go to those who suffer in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is a message of peace and unity, said Infantino.
Later on Thursday, Infantino had a meeting with the chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich to "discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East", it is stated in a post on Infantino's Instagram account.
In the post, Infantino in practice repeated his statements from earlier in the day, but neither Israel nor the country's football association was mentioned.
Canadian Victor Montagliani, one of several vice chairmen of Fifa, has said that the European Football Association (Uefa) should take on the Israel issue.
It has been reported that Uefa had plans for a meeting on excluding the country from the World Championship qualifiers, but the peace plan that the USA and Israel have agreed on has put the process on hold, according to several media outlets, writes NTB.
Israel is third in its World Championship qualifying group with nine points. The same score has second-placed Italy. Norway tops the group with 15 points.
