FIFA said Thursday that it would take no action on formal complaints by the Palestinian soccer federation in 2024 against its Israeli counterpart, including to suspend membership.

FIFA did, however, fine 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.”

Palestinian soccer officials have long argued Israel violates FIFA statutes by letting teams from settlements in the West Bank play in the national league.

“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,” the soccer body said.

“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts,” said Infantino, who presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a specially created peace prize at the World Cup draw in December.

“[B]ut we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” he said.

The disciplinary investigation of Israeli soccer also was opened 18 months ago in response to formal complaints by the Palestinian federation.

One third of the fine must be spent by Israeli officials, FIFA ruled, on “implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”

“The plan shall be approved by FIFA and shall focus on the following areas: reforms, protocols, monitoring, and educational campaigns in stadiums and on official channels for an entire season,” FIFA judges decided.

The judges said they “cannot remain indifferent to the broader human context in which football operates” and the sport “must remain a platform for peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — TCU wasn’t short on confidence for Thursday’s NCAA tournament opener against Ohio State, with forward David Punch setting the stage of the matchup by saying he believed the Horned Frogs would beat the Buckeyes “nine out of 10 times.”

That, forward Xavier Edmonds said, added a bit of pressure on the Horned Frogs to back up Punch’s prediction.

“His words were just a little bit misconstrued and a little twisted,” Edmonds said. “Still, we saw it, and we felt like we had to stand on it.”

Given Ohio State’s raucous comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit, it’s hard to say what might happen if these two played nine more times, but on Thursday, Punch and Edmonds delivered. Punch connected on a nifty pass to Edmonds in the paint with four seconds to go for a go-ahead layup, helping TCU advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 66-64 victory.

TCU was dominant from beyond the arc in the first half, but a brutal shooting performance after the break allowed the Buckeyes to claw back into the game, taking a 51-50 lead with just over seven minutes to play.

With Edmonds in foul trouble, Punch put the Frogs on his back late, however, finishing the game with 16 points, 13 boards and a pair of assists, including the go-ahead dish to Edmonds.

Ohio State had one final shot at the win, but Bruce Thornton couldn’t find an open man near the basket and settled for a half-court heave that fell short.

The win ensured Punch’s boast proved accurate, but TCU wasn’t done delivering a message to Ohio State.

“We just felt like them as a Big Ten team, they just haven’t felt or seen a defense like ours,” said Edmonds, who finished with 16 points and eight boards. “Being in the Big 12, and the different level of physicality and intensity, we just wanted to go out there and show them what Big 12 basketball is about.”

Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié is fully focused on victory in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final over Manchester City and not the impact it could make in the title race.

The top-two in the Premier League will do battle at Wembley for the first major trophy of the season.

Top-of-the-table Arsenal boast a nine-point advantage and success over Pep Guardiola’s team on Sunday could potentially deliver a mental blow to City’s hopes of clawing back the deficit to Mikel Arteta’s runaway leaders.

But asked if the Wembley final will impact the title race, Hincapié told reporters: “I don’t know.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game. We’re very focused on wanting to win it, but we have to work hard to win the title.

“We’re really focused on the final, which is a very important final.

“We’re going to train very hard to get to the final in the best way possible and to win the title. That’s the most important thing.”

This will be the second meeting between Arsenal and City during the campaign.

A stoppage-time strike by Gabriel Martinelli salvaged a point for the Gunners during the league clash at Emirates Stadium in September.

Arteta’s all-conquering team remained on course for an unprecedented quadruple with a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate win.

– Predictions: Arsenal or Man City to win Carabao final? Who takes Madrid derby?
– Arsenal unflappable in Champions League, a stark contrast to Premier League counterparts

Hincapié was sad to knock out old club Leverkusen, but delighted to help Arsenal continue to compete on four fronts.

He said: “I’m really excited to have qualified for the quarterfinals with my club, but I’m also a bit sad because it was against my former club. This is football and I’m really happy.”