Palestinians in Gaza celebrated Spain's World Cup victory, with many drawn to the team because of Spain's vocal support for Palestinian rights. Gathered at cafes and outdoor screenings, fans defied the risk of Israeli attacks to cheer on the Spanish team.
Spain's support for Palestine
Many waving Spanish flags paid tribute to teenage star Lamine Yamal, who brought a Palestinian flag to celebrations for Barcelona's La Liga win in May. "Whoever raises the Palestinian flag deserves to raise the World Cup," the Gaza al-Irada amputee football team wrote in a pre-game video message for the Spanish team.
Saadi al-Masri, 40 and captain of the amputee team in Gaza, watched the game with friends in a cafe. "I support Spain because we see it as a country that stands with the Palestinian cause and supports Palestinian rights," he said.
Political context
Spain has been among Europe's most vocal critics of Israel's war on Gaza and state-backed violence in the occupied West Bank. It is pushing for stronger European Union action over human rights violations, including suspension of a broad free trade pact.
When Israel's defence minister attacked Yamal for raising the Palestinian flag, accusing him of "inciting hatred", the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was quick to defend the young player. "Lamine has only expressed the solidarity with Palestine that is felt by millions of us in Spain. Another reason to be proud of him," he said in a social media post.
Israeli support for Argentina
Israeli support for Argentina was led by Netanyahu, who has cultivated close ties with far-right president Javier Milei, and posted a good luck message for the team ahead of the final. The Palestinian delegation to the United Nations responded with an image of the Spanish team, under the headline "world champions".
Struggles in Gaza
Even keen fans in Gaza have struggled to keep up with matches during the World Cup. Most of the 2 million Palestinians in the territory live in tent camps after Israeli attacks destroyed their homes, with little access to power or internet connections.
Arkan al-Walaida, 23, went to internet cafes to seek out match highlights each morning during the tournament, looking for short videos on TikTok or Fifa's official YouTube and Instagram pages. When she found out on Monday that Spain had won, she was overwhelmed. "Honestly, I felt like I was about to cry from happiness," she said. "We see their support as a sign of humanity."
Al-Masri watched the match at a cafe, packed with an excited crowd. "We were very happy when the final whistle confirmed Spain's victory," he said, but fear of Israeli airstrikes meant there were no late-night parties.
Tragedy during the tournament
In early July, an Israeli bomb killed Mohamed al-Wahidi, a Palestinian aid worker who organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza. The strike, just before the game between Egypt and Argentina, also killed brothers aged eight and 10, and a second man. The Israeli military confirmed the attack but said it had not targeted al-Wahidi.
