The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) has announced the indefinite postponement of all football matches across domestic tournaments in response to the ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. The decision was made amid growing fears of a full-scale war following the recent escalations.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, at least 558 people, including 50 children, have been killed, and 1,835 others wounded in Israel’s intense bombardment that began on Friday. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that tens of thousands of people have been displaced, with the numbers continuing to rise.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the LFA confirmed that, “Due to the current situation in the country, the executive committee of the Lebanese Football Association has decided to postpone matches of all tournaments to a date to be determined later.”
This decision came four days after the opening of the Lebanese Premier League, the country’s top domestic football competition. The second matchday of the 2024-2025 season was originally scheduled between September 27 and 29.
Lebanon is not expected to host any international fixtures in the upcoming months. The last home game was played on December 28, when the men’s national team faced Jordan in a friendly match. The next two international friendlies for Lebanon, against India on October 12 and Vietnam on October 15, will be held in Vietnam.
Similarly, domestic football in Palestine remains suspended due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began after the October 7 attacks in southern Israel. The last game in the Palestine Professional League was played on October 6, while the Palestinian men’s national team continues to play its international fixtures abroad. The last home match was hosted in the occupied West Bank in 2019.
The Palestine Football Association has reported that at least 410 athletes, coaches, and sports officials have been killed in the Gaza conflict, with 297 of them being footballers, including 84 children.
