Palestine in the World Cup

posted on: Jul 15, 2026

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

By: Nadia Boughanmi / Arab America Contributing Writer

Palestine has taken a center stage in the 2026 World Cup, even without the national soccer team qualifying for the cup. Support and allyship for the Palestinian people has been a key attribute to this year’s matches. From the fans in the crowd holding signs and flags for advocacy to even the coaches of the qualifying teams displaying the Palestinian flag in solidarity.

Fans from all nations have proudly stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people. When the camera pans over the crowd during matches, it is always noticeable that there are flags waving in the crowd, scarves that display the word “Palestine” and keffiyehs. Certain teams coaches have also taken the liberty of waving the Palestinian flag proudly and dedicating their teams’ wins to the people of Gaza. The World Cup support for Palestine has transcended all borders, including people of every nation, background and ethnicity, showing a united world for one cause. 

The MENA World

The Middle Eastern and North African regions of the world have shown out the heaviest for the people of Palestine during the World Cup. The cultural and religious ties to the nation symbolize a tie that links the Palestinians to these other nations. The soccer teams of these various nations also reflect the same support for Palestine as the other people of their countries. Players and coaches alike have advocated and supported the rights of the Palestinians and have made that extremely clear on such a global stage. 

Fans of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkiye, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar have not been shy about their solidarity either. Many fans have been photographed and shown on the match live streams holding Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and holding flags that have messages displayed on them. 

During the Turkiye match against the USA, a Palestinian flag flying next to a Turkiye flag, right behind the goal post was shown across the match stream multiple times. Moroccan fans in Times Square had been videoed chanting “Free Palestine” while celebrating their team. They carried that same energy to the pitch and displayed even more solidarity throughout the team’s matches. The Jordanian fans wore keffiyehs proudly and stood in great support for their Palestinian neighbors. Tunisian, Algerian and Iranian fans all held Palestinian flags that were seen across the stadiums. 

Egypt’s Dedication

The Egyptian Nation Soccer Team has taken their support extremely far in the tournament. After their round of 32 win against the Australian team, the coach of the Egyptian team, Hossam Hassan, stood firm in his solidarity. Hassan waved the Palestinian flag across the pitch after the win and draped it over his shoulder with the Egyptian one. 

Hassan and the players of the team had dedicated their win against Australia to the Palestinian people. He had explained that a win for Egypt should be taken as a win for the Palestinians and that the team wants to make the Arab world and the Palestinians proud. 

The support between the Egyptian soccer team and the Palestinians is a relationship that goes both ways as well. Palestinians in Gaza were seen watching and supporting Egypt because of the immense support that the team had shown them. Egypt’s round of 16 match was live streamed in Gaza and Palestinian fans were immensely proud of Egypt’s performance against Argentina. 

Transcending Borders

Not only has the MENA diaspora shown up for Palestine, but so has the world. Fans from across the globe had truly shown up with great support and solidarity. Fans from Brazil, Spain, Korea, Japan, Mexico and more had waved Palestinian flags proudly and exclaimed their support for Palestinian freedom. Many of the fans from various nations attending the 2026 World Cup had previously backed the “Give Israel the Red Card” campaign and carried that through out the tournament. 

Fans from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a European country, have outshined many in their support as well. Fans attending matches of Bosnia and Herzegovina had brought Palestinian flags and waved them in solidarity. They have also mentioned across platforms that they will not let people forget about the Palestinian people. Bosnian Muslims had undergone a genocide from 1991-1995, linking them to Palestinian Muslims who are sharing a common fate. 

Multiple teams have previously rejected “friendly”  matches with Israel due to the government’s actions. Argentina and Egypt, two teams apart of the 2026 World Cup, had canceled friendly or warm cup games with the Israeli team in previous years. The support for Palestine has gone beyond the MENA world and has transcended the borders of nations covering the globe. 

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