European football's governing body faced criticism after displaying a 'Stop killing children, stop killing civilians' banner at the UEFA Super Cup, insisting the message was about humanity rather than politics. The banner was unfurled by nine refugee children from various conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Palestine, and Ukraine, during the opening ceremony. Two refugee children from the Israel-Gaza War also participated in the medals ceremony, highlighting the ongoing impact of conflict on young lives.

Israeli football figures called the gesture hypocritical, questioning UEFA's stance and referencing previous incidents involving political banners at matches. UEFA maintained that their rules prohibit political messages in stadiums and defended the banner as a call for compassion and common sense. The event comes amid heightened tensions following the death of Palestinian footballer Suleiman Obeid and ongoing violence in Gaza, with prominent figures like Mohamed Salah challenging UEFA's response to the crisis.