Israel’s World Cup qualifying match at Italy next week is expected to attract more pro-Palestinian protesters outside the soccer stadium in Udine than ticket-holding spectators inside the arena. Protesters already approached the gates of Italy’s training center in Florence last week to demand that the match isn’t played because of the war in Gaza — part of a national strike that saw millions of activists take to the streets.

The defining feature of European football over the past decade has been the development of the women’s game. The quality has risen, crowds have grown, and the number of fully professional players has increased dramatically. Various countries have hosted ...