Football, war and solidarity: Why Gaza fans turned to Spain this World Cup

Gaza City — At a busy cafe in Gaza City, football fans gathered around a small screen, perched against an idle projector screen, to watch Sunday night’s crunch World Cup match between Spain and Saudi Arabia.

The crowd let out a scream as 18-year-old Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for Spain in the tenth minute. Three more Spanish goals followed in the next 35 minutes, securing a comfortable win for the European football powerhouse, to the delight of the patrons of the makeshift Gaza cafe.

Saudi Arabia may share close ties with the Palestinians, but passion for the Spanish football team is long standing in Gaza.

And yet Palestinian support for Spain during the World Cup is not just driven by the team’s prowess on the field. It has also been guided by Spain’s political and humanitarian position during Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians.

Since the war began in October 2023, Spain has been one of Europe’s strongest backers of the people of Gaza and most vocal critics of Israel.

Mohammad Attallah, 43, a lawyer from Gaza City, told Al Jazeera that he had followed Spanish football for years. But when the war broke out and left-wing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threw his country’s support behind Gaza, his love for La Roja, as Spain’s national football team is known as, carried a different meaning.

“We are a people who love life and love football. Many people here have followed La Liga and the Spanish national team for years, but Spain’s stance during the war made people feel much closer to it,” Attallah said.

Several positions of Spain resonated widely among Palestinians, he said. Barcelona star Lamine Yamal’s solidarity with Palestinians, its recognition of the State of Palestine in 2024, as well as official Spanish positions on the war – including King Felipe VI’s plea for Israel to stop its “abhorrent acts” in Gaza – have all been noted in Gaza City, 3,500 km (2,175 miles) from Madrid.

“We feel proud of everyone who stood by the Palestinian people during these circumstances. That’s why many people here support Spain, not only because of football, but also because of these humanitarian positions,” he added.

“We expect Spain to win, and we strongly support them, but in the end, we also respect the Saudi national team,” he said with a smile.

Mohammed Atallah has supported the Spanish national team for years and praises Spain’s stance in support of the people of Gaza and its criticism of the ongoing genocide in Gaza [Abdelhakim Abu Riash / Al Jazeera]

Throughout the cafe, fans repeatedly referred to Spain’s political stance as a factor for supporting the national team. Hani Abu Rizq, 32, viewed the cheers for Spain in Gaza City as a reflection of Palestinians’ determination to hold on to life, despite the war.

Watching football is one of the few ways to escape the pressures of daily life in Gaza, he said, but politics still finds a way of seeping into the beautiful game in Gaza.

“We want to show the world that the people of Gaza love life and love sports, despite all the destruction and hardships surrounding them,” Abu Rizq said.

“It’s impossible to ignore the impact of the positions supportive of Palestine, whether from the Spanish government or from athletes.”

When Yamal raised a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s La Liga victory celebrations last month, Palestinians viewed that as a show of solidarity for Gaza’s sports community under fire since October 2023.

“Many football players who were once stars in the local league have been forced to take up other jobs after stadiums were destroyed and sporting activities came to a halt,” he said.

Gaza residents watch the Spain vs Saudi Arabia match in a makeshift café set up near displacement tents in Gaza City [Abdelhakim Abu Riash / Al Jazeera]

Despite that, Palestinians in Gaza still retain their love for football. Frequent electricity and internet outages have ground down Palestinians in Gaza, but they still find time to gather at cafes to watch football matches together.

“Major sporting events remain an opportunity for Palestinians to remind the world of their cause and their ongoing suffering, just as happened during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Palestine was highly visible in the stands and among fans,” he said.

While for many in Gaza, football is an outlet for their grief and frustrations, Abdullah Masoud said the Spain v Saudi Arabia match was also an opportunity for people to acknowledge Spain’s solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“We in Gaza have suffered greatly from the siege and the war. This tournament has given us a chance to experience moments that feel somewhat normal. We love football like any other people, and we once hoped to see Palestine play in the World Cup,” he said.

Abdullah Masoud with his friends watching the match in Gaza
[Abdelhakim Abu Riash / Al Jazeera]

“We do not forget the positions we witnessed during the war, whether from Spanish officials or sports figures such as Lamine Yamal when he raised the Palestinian flag before the world.”

Palestinians said their decision on who to support this World Cup has been guided by the country’s stance on the genocide in Gaza – even if the team faces an Arab side.

“We appreciate everyone who stood with the people of Gaza. They may not speak our language, but their humanitarian positions reached us more than those of any other people in the world. That is why many here feel close to them,” Masoud said.

“Whenever Palestine appears in stadiums or among supporters, we feel that our suffering has not been forgotten and that there are still people who hear our voice.”