Sources with knowledge of the FIFA Congress arrangements, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, told The Athletic that a photo opportunity involving Rajoub and Suliman was pre-planned before the night.

However, no one was prepared to back that up in the mixed zone after the event on the record.

Rajoub was pressed multiple times in the mixed zone on whether the handshake was pre-planned. He declined to state specifically whether or not he was going to be asked to shake hands with Suliman:

💬 “This is not the issue. Could I shake hands with someone representing a fascist and racist government, and defending even the policies of this government? I don’t think that I have to shake hands. I don’t think that he’s a qualified partner to me.

“While I understand, I recognize that the Israeli Federation has the right to organize and develop sport but within their internationally recognized borders. Was he ready to say that for the Palestinians?”

Yariv Teper, the IFA’s acting general secretary, denied it was pre-planned. But he said:

💬 “I think it was a missing of opportunity. Because our mission is to show the world that we can do it in a different way. Our vice president stood there. And the president of FIFA asking both sides to come to the floor together. The way I see it, it was a missing of opportunity, in order to show something else for the world.

“We are not dealing with politics. We are dealing only with football, and in order to bring a better future for football in all other regions of the world, especially in our region, in the Middle East. So that was our mission in this Congress. If someone wants to take us to a political area, this is not for us. We are only aiming to bring better future, better football to all children all over the world.”