Palestine Aspires for FIFA World Cup 2026 amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
It is not a secret that the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which is considered to be one of the most dynamic, caught a rather unusual show of unity on Thursday. South Korean soccer fans, who are famous for their support of the ‘Taegeuk warriors’ or the South Korean national soccer team, abruptly changed allegiance when they waved Palestinian flags and bore banners supporting Palestine when their national side played against Palestine in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier game.
In the middle of a sea of red – the home team’s color – giant sections of the 66 thousand spectators enthusiastically waved Palestinian flags and unity signs. The crowd was charged with emotions because Palestine was playing its third-round first match of the World Cup qualifier match, which ended in a 0-0 draw against South Korea. With the help of the brilliant saves of Rami Hamadeh and thanks to the South Koreans’ wastefulness, the underdogs secured an important point.
Palestinian players and staff embraced the historic struggle, recognizing they were more than self-fulfilling athletes. The team’s participation comes as war killed Palestinians in their land in Gaza. More than 40,000 Palestinians died, and 94,000 were injured after October 7, 2014, until now, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid underlined the importance of the team’s participation in the World Cup qualifiers, stating the existing conflict. “We can never stop dreaming,” Rashid said, pointing to the suicidal role of carrying out playing while showing that they are representing Palestine internationally. For these players, playing is not just a hobby but life, something that is much more than merely a sport, and football is hope.
War has also affected sports in Palestine, especially due to the conflict that has been going on for quite some time now. In fact, by August, 410 athletes, sports officials, and coaches were killed; among which, 297 were footballers —many of them were children with aspirations to one day play for Palestine. Still, the team carries on, playing for every Palestinian there is in the entire universe.
The game in Seoul was but the first of Palestine’s qualifiers for the World Cup in 2006. The team cannot play home matches because of security reasons and will “play” the Jordan in Malaysia in the next game. With these problems in mind, Palestine has not lost sight of its target – to participate in the 2026 World Cup. Although they struggle with strong teams like South Korea, Iraq, or Jordan, they can aim for second place or qualify for the next stage of the qualification.
As for the Palestinian people, the national football team turned out to be hope and inspiration in a time of severe distress. However, football has offered a brief feeling of relief and something that one could be proud of amidst the war. Similarly to other sectors in Palestine, the Palestinian Football Association, which is a major stakeholder, is struggling after the conflict. Still, it keeps on working, which shows that the Palestinian people do not surrender easily. According to PFA’s Deputy General Secretary, Sami Abu Al Hussein, the team gives a voice to Palestine, especially when things are even at their worst.
This is why getting to the 2026 World Cup play-off stage would be so much more than football for Palestine—they are still fighting their battles, remember?
