Iran's national men's soccer team takes part in a training session a day before its Group A match against Syria during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifier, in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 4, 2017. (AP file photo)

GENEVA — FIFA fined the Israeli soccer federation for breaching anti-discrimination regulations but took no action Thursday on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel from global soccer for allowing clubs based in West Bank settlements.

Also, FIFA President Gianni Infantino further dampened Iran’s attempts to move its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, saying global soccer’s governing body wants the tournament “to go ahead as scheduled.”

Two separate Palestinian soccer federation petitions were addressed in Thursday’s announcement.

FIFA fined the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) on disciplinary charges relating to “discrimination and racist abuse,” plus “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play.”

The Israeli federation was held responsible by three FIFA judges for “tolerance of politicized and militaristic messaging within football contexts,” notably by fans of Beitar Jerusalem, and the “systemic exclusion of Palestinians from football infrastructure in Israeli settlements.”

The disciplinary verdict against Israeli soccer, judged last August, was finally announced after a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council chaired by Infantino, who restated his organization had peaceful goals in a month of turmoil for World Cup planning amid war in the Middle East.

Denied on settler clubs

The Palestinian soccer federation has urged FIFA to act against Israel for supporting clubs in its national league from settlement communities in the West Bank.

FIFA’s council decided Thursday on advice from the governing body’s governance panel not to act on formal Palestinian complaints in 2024 against its Israeli counterpart, including a request to suspend membership.

FIFA wants Iran in US

Infantino reiterated FIFA is not moving toward granting Iranian requests to move the team’s three World Cup group games in June from the United States to Mexico.

Iranian government and soccer officials have said they do not want to boycott the World Cup but that it is not possible for the national team to come to the U.S. because of military attacks on the country by Israel and U.S. since Feb. 28.

The team is due to play two games at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood and one in Seattle.

“We have a schedule,” Infantino said in a statement Thursday about the World Cup fixtures announced in December, adding “we want the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled.”

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