FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin have been accused of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The filing, a 120-page document sent to the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor, was made on February 16 by a coalition of Palestinian footballers, clubs, landowners, and advocacy groups.
Those backing it include Irish Sport for Palestine, Scottish Sport for Palestine, Just Peace Advocates, and Euro Med Human Rights Monitor.
Per The Athletic, the main accusation is that Israeli football clubs located on occupied Palestinian land are still allowed to play in FIFA and UEFA competitions.
Under the Rome Statute, the filing targets two specific offences: the transfer of civilian populations into occupied territory and apartheid as a crime against humanity.
Palestinians, it claims, are barred from attending matches at settlement clubs, from playing for them, and from holding any management role.
Both men were warned by UN human rights experts, as well as organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
Members of the European Parliament also raised concerns. But, according to the complaint, none of those warnings led to any action.
Infantino has previously pushed back in a Sky News interview, where he said banning Israel from football would mean a defeat. UEFA, for its part, has formally rejected the complaint.
The lawyers involved say the case presents an issue the sport has never faced before, as FIFA and UEFA generate revenues that dwarf the economies of some nations.
They have long operated as though they were beyond legal reach. And this filing, whether it goes anywhere or not, suggests that assumption is being tested.
