Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has demanded that Israel be banned from international football, speaking at a London concert on Wednesday night.
The French icon addressed the Together for Palestine event just one day after a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.
Cantona told the audience that football represents more than sport - it's about culture, politics and soft power.
He argued that Israel should lose the privilege of competing on the global stage.
Eric Cantona has called for FIFA and UEFA to immediately ban all Israeli football teams
|The former footballer's passionate plea came as pressure mounts on FIFA and UEFA to take action against Israeli teams.
The timing of FIFA and UEFA's response has become Cantona's main point of contention.
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He highlighted that Russia faced suspension just four days after invading Ukraine, yet Israel continues playing after 716 days of what Amnesty International has labelled genocide.
"Why? Why is it double standards?" Cantona asked the crowd.
His frustration was clear as he pointed out that football's governing bodies acted swiftly against Russia but haven't taken similar steps against Israel.
Eric Cantona spoke at the Together 4 Palestine concert in London on Wednesday night
|PA
The 716-day figure underscores how long the conflict has continued without any sporting sanctions being imposed on Israeli teams.
Cantona directly called on the football community to take matters into their own hands.
"Clubs everywhere must refuse to play Israeli teams. Current players everywhere must refuse to play against Israeli teams," he stated during his speech.
The Manchester United great drew parallels with South Africa's apartheid era, reminding the audience how sporting boycotts helped bring about change.
"We all remember apartheid in South Africa. The sporting boycott was critical in ending apartheid there. So we have power, you have power," he told those gathered.
His words reflect a growing movement within football to pressure authorities through direct action rather than waiting for official sanctions.
The concert coincided with broader calls for action across football.
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Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Ayoub Khan launched a petition demanding that Aston Villa's November Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv be cancelled or moved.
Irish club Bohemians wrote to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin requesting Israel's immediate suspension.
Israel's foreign ministry rejected the UN commission's findings as "distorted and false."
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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch also performed at the London event, reciting Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's work.