{"id":551873,"date":"2026-07-21T07:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/551873\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T07:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:01:08","slug":"gaza-celebrates-world-cup-victory-of-spanish-team-they-took-into-their-hearts-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/551873\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza celebrates World Cup victory of Spanish team they took into their hearts | World Cup 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Spanish football team\u2019s World Cup<\/a> win has been celebrated in the streets of Gaza, where Spain\u2019s support for Palestinian rights and Israel\u2019s backing for the Argentinian team turned the competition into more than a football showdown.<\/p>\n

Gathered at cafes and outdoor screenings, Palestinians defied the risk of Israeli attacks<\/a> to cheer on a team they had taken to their hearts.<\/p>\n

Many waving Spanish flags paid tribute to teenage star Lamine Yamal, who brought a Palestinian flag to celebrations for Barcelona\u2019s La Liga win in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever raises the Palestinian flag deserves to raise the World Cup,\u201d the Gaza al-Irada amputee football team wrote in a pre-game video message<\/a> for the Spanish team.<\/p>\n

Saadi al-Masri, 40 and captain of the amputee team in Gaza, watched the game with friends in a cafe. \u201cI support Spain<\/a> because we see it as a country that stands with the Palestinian cause and supports Palestinian rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Palestinians defied the risk of Israeli attacks to cheer on Spain. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Spain has been among Europe\u2019s most vocal critics<\/a> of Israel\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

When Israel\u2019s defence minister attacked Yamal for raising the Palestinian flag, accusing him of \u201cinciting hatred\u201d, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, was quick to defend the young player.<\/p>\n

\u201cLamine has only expressed the solidarity with Palestine<\/a> that is felt by millions of us in Spain. Another reason to be proud of him,\u201d he said in a social media post.<\/p>\n

Israeli support for Argentina<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian delegation to the United Nations responded with an image of the Spanish team, under the headline \u201cworld champions\u201d.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s official YouTube and Instagram pages.<\/p>\n

When she found out on Monday that Spain had won, she was overwhelmed. \u201cHonestly, I felt like I was about to cry from happiness,\u201d she said. \u201cWe see their support as a sign of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Al-Masri watched the match at a cafe, packed with an excited crowd. \u201cWe were very happy when the final whistle confirmed Spain\u2019s victory,\u201d he said, but fear of Israeli airstrikes meant there were no late-night parties.<\/p>\n

In early July, an Israeli bomb killed<\/a> Mohamed al-Wahidi, a Palestinian aid worker who organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The strike, just before the game between Egypt and Argentina<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n