Infantino handshake – A tense moment at FIFA’s Congress in Vancouver saw Gianni Infantino attempt to bring Israel and Palestine football chiefs together, but it did not happen.
A carefully choreographed moment on FIFA’s main stage in Vancouver unraveled almost instantly, as Gianni Infantino failed to get the football leadership of Israel and Palestine to shake hands.
At the FIFA Congress. both federations were given time to address delegates amid the ongoing conflict. with Infantino actively trying to orchestrate a gesture of unity between Israel FA vice president Basim Sheikh Suliman and Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub.. After Suliman finished his remarks. Infantino asked him to remain on stage. before turning to Rajoub as the atmosphere stayed tense and the two men continued to stand apart.
The situation escalated into a visible, animated exchange, with Infantino urging both sides to collaborate.. He framed the moment around shared rights. duties. and FIFA membership. then pointed to a forthcoming under-15 tournament that would invite countries across the world.. Even as Infantino appealed for cooperation for the sake of children, Rajoub resisted the repeated handshake suggestion.
It was not a symbolic detour so much as a snapshot of how sensitive sports governance can become when wider political realities are in the room. In that context, the handshake attempt mattered as a test of whether football’s formal structures can quiet competing narratives, at least for a moment.
Rajoub’s resistance did not stay private.. As Infantino renewed efforts to bring the leaders together. the Palestinian chief was seen and heard responding to the crowd about suffering. turning his stance into a pointed message directed at delegates.. The moment eventually shifted when Rajoub stepped in and embraced Infantino, kissing him on the cheek, before leaving the stage.. Suliman then also embraced Infantino, and Infantino returned to his seat.
Afterward, Infantino insisted the challenge would not be abandoned, emphasizing that children from Palestine and Israel deserve hope in the future and that visits would happen when conditions allow. Yet the underlying dispute that framed the Congress remained central to the day’s proceedings.
The conflict around football’s role in the region was further underscored by the issues raised during Rajoub’s speech.. He alleged that Israel breached anti-discrimination rules through the way clubs operate in West Bank settlements. and Misryoum understands that the Palestinian federation has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after a FIFA decision last month not to suspend Israel.
This episode highlights why moments that look “simple” on paper can become complicated in practice when governance, law, and lived realities collide. For FIFA, it is another reminder that unity on stage is harder to achieve than unity in a statement.