Gaza football fans back Spain as politics enters World Cup viewing
Support for Spain in Gaza blended long-running football loyalty with anger over the war and gratitude for Spanish positions on Palestine, Al Jazeera reported.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Spain’s World Cup win over Saudi Arabia drew cheers in Gaza City, where Al Jazeera reported that football allegiance has become tied to politics and solidarity over the war. Fans watching in a makeshift cafe said Spain’s public support for Palestinians had made its national team feel closer to people in Gaza.
According to Al Jazeera, supporters gathered Sunday night around a small screen in a busy Gaza City cafe to watch Spain face Saudi Arabia. Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Spain and Barcelona player, scored in the 10th minute, and Spain added three more goals in the next 35 minutes.
Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia has close ties with Palestinians, but Spain has long had a strong following in Gaza because of its football culture and the popularity of Spanish clubs. During the current World Cup, several fans said their support had been strengthened by Spain’s position on Gaza since the war began in October 2023.
Al Jazeera said nearly 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war. It described Spain as one of the strongest European supporters of Gaza and one of the sharpest European critics of Israel during the conflict.
Mohammad Attallah, a 43-year-old lawyer from Gaza City, told Al Jazeera he had followed Spanish football for years. He said Spain’s stance under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave his support for the team a new meaning during the war.
Attallah pointed to several steps that Palestinians in Gaza had noticed, according to Al Jazeera: Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state in 2024, official criticism of the war, and King Felipe VI’s call for Israel to stop what he described as “abhorrent acts” in Gaza. He also cited Yamal’s public gestures in support of Palestinians.
Hani Abu Rizq, 32, told Al Jazeera that cheering for Spain also reflected the desire of people in Gaza to keep some connection to ordinary life. He said football offered a brief release from daily pressure, even as politics continued to shape how fans watched the tournament.
Yamal’s decision to raise a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s La Liga title celebrations last month resonated strongly in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. Abu Rizq said many local footballers had lost their sporting lives after stadiums were destroyed and organized sport stopped.
Al Jazeera reported that electricity and internet outages have made it harder for people in Gaza to follow matches, but fans still gather in cafes when they can. Abu Rizq said major tournaments give Palestinians a chance to keep attention on their cause, recalling the visibility of Palestinian flags and symbols during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Abdullah Masoud told Al Jazeera that the Spain-Saudi Arabia match gave people in Gaza a chance to experience moments that felt closer to normal. He said fans appreciated support from Spanish officials and sports figures, including Yamal.
Masoud said many Palestinians in Gaza had based their World Cup loyalties on how countries responded to the war, even when Spain faced an Arab team. He told Al Jazeera that public displays of Palestinian identity in stadiums made people in Gaza feel their suffering had not been forgotten.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.