The Palestinian Football Association has confirmed that 325 members of its football community — players, coaches, referees and officials — have been killed since the outbreak of the latest escalation.
But behind this staggering figure stands a face that, for many, embodied the soul of Palestinian football: Suleiman al-Obeid.
He was nicknamed the Palestinian Pelé. At 41, the former national team No 10 lost his life last week, killed in an airstrike while waiting near an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza. Al-Obeid earned 24 caps for Palestine, but to his people, he was far more than just a footballer: he was living proof that, even in adversity, the beauty of the game could endure.
His acrobatic volley against Yemen in 2010 remains etched in memory — a pure, almost unreal gesture that, for a fleeting moment, erased the checkpoints, the blackouts, and the bomb-damaged stadiums.
Salah’s voice
Al-Obeid’s death sent shockwaves beyond Palestine. Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah publicly called out UEFA after what he described as an incomplete tribute:
“Tell us how he died,” he wrote, condemning the omission of the circumstances of al-Obeid’s death.
His message went viral, becoming a rallying cry for players and supporters across the Arab world who feel global football turns a blind eye to the tragedies endured by Palestinians.
A chilling number
The Palestinian Football Association now speaks of 325 martyrs from within its football community: young academy prospects, active internationals, coaches, referees, and volunteers. Many died far from the pitch, in bombardments or while seeking shelter.
And the number continues to rise.
More than a game
For Palestine, football is not merely a pastime. It is a shared language, a form of peaceful resistance, a collective dream.
The loss of al-Obeid — and hundreds like him — is a reminder of just how fragile that dream is, and how desperately it needs defending, even in the darkest of times.
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