Killed by 'Israel': The Palestinian football legends missing from the World Cup

As millions of football fans around the globe turn their eyes toward the United States for the 2026 World Cup, a starkly different reality is being highlighted by activists, human rights organizations, and sports bodies.

While stadiums fill and anthems play, hundreds of Palestinian athletes who were supposed to be on the pitch, in the stands, or celebrating with their loved ones are entirely absent. They have been killed during the ongoing war in Gaza since October 2023.

A growing international movement is calling on football fans and human rights advocates not just to cheer for their favorite squads this summer, but to demand immediate institutional action.

Activists are urging FIFA to end what they term a blatant "double standard," calling for the formal expulsion of 'Israel' from all international sporting activities and demanding accountability for the deliberate destruction of Palestinian athletic life and sports infrastructure.

A Heavy Toll on Sports Culture

According to official estimates compiled by the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the Palestinian Football Association, the scale of destruction leveled against the region's sports community is unprecedented:

• Mass Casualties: More than 400 Palestinian male and female athletes have been killed, a tragic figure that includes approximately 240 football players.
• Federation Losses: Over 70 athletes representing various other Palestinian sports federations have lost their lives.
• Youth Movements Cut Short: More than 33 members of the Palestinian scouting movement are among the dead.
• Widespread Injuries: Hundreds of other Palestinian athletes have suffered injuries of varying degrees, many resulting in life-altering amputations that have permanently ended their athletic careers.
• Infrastructure Decimated: A staggering 42 sports facilities have been completely destroyed, and approximately 70% of all sports infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip has been heavily damaged or rendered completely unusable.

Despite the profound human loss and the literal flattening of stadiums, training pitches, and clubhouses, FIFA has yet to implement any serious disciplinary measures or sanctions against the 'Israeli' Football Association, sparking immense outrage from critics pointing out how swiftly Russia was banned from global competition following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Remembering the Fallen: The Faces Behind the Numbers

To understand the human reality behind these statistics, a series of commemorative campaign materials has begun circulating globally. Each graphic profiles a real athlete, referee, or coach whose dreams were permanently cut short.

Here are the specific stories of the eleven individuals highlighted in the movement's documentation:

1. Mohammad Ramiz Al-Sultan 

Background: A rising 15-year-old football talent from Gaza, Al-Sultan was recognized as one of the most promising young prospects in the region. He played for Al-Hilal Sports Club and was affectionately dubbed the "Messi of Gaza."

He was killed by 'Israeli' forces along with 14 members of his family on September 12, 2025, when a targeted bombardment struck their home in northwestern Gaza City.

2. Rashid Walid Mahmoud Al-Nims 

Background: A seasoned 29-year-old footballer from Gaza, Al-Nims played for the Khadamat Rafah club. He was a veteran of several Gaza Strip teams and notably celebrated winning the domestic League and Cup double during the 2018-2019 season.
He was killed along with his wife and child on October 25, 2024, during an 'Israeli' airstrike that targeted his wife's family home east of Khan Younis.

3. Hamdan Imad Qashta 

Background: A 22-year-old footballer from Rafah, Qashta played for the Shabab Rafah club. Beyond his duties as a player, he dedicated his time to coaching local children, mentoring them in the technical arts and skills of the sport.

He was killed in Rafah on March 12, 2025, after sustaining fatal injuries from a missile deployed by an 'Israeli' drone.

4. Malik Abu Al-Amrain 

Background: A vibrant 15-year-old youth athlete from Gaza, Abu Al-Amrain was a dedicated player for the Al-Hilal Sports Club academy system.

He was killed by 'Israeli' forces on September 6, 2025, while waiting in line to receive humanitarian food and medical aid in the heavily blockaded northern Gaza Strip.

5. Mohammad Al-Tari 
Background: A 36-year-old veteran forward from Gaza, Al-Tari played for Khadamat Al-Nuseirat. He was widely known across the local scene by the nickname "The Football Nomad" due to his storied career successfully helping multiple clubs earn promotion to the Gaza Strip Premier League.

He was killed on September 24, 2025, while waiting to secure humanitarian aid in northwestern Rafah.

6. Naji Al-Baba 

Background: A 14-year-old youth player from Halhul in the northern West Bank, Al-Baba represented Halhul Sports Club. His ultimate dream was to reach the professional ranks and play on the international stage.

He was shot and killed by Israeli Occupation Forces on November 3, 2024, while playing football with friends near his home in the town of Halhul.

7. Rashid Hamdouna 

Background: A respected 35-year-old football referee from Gaza. Hamdouna began his officiating career in 2015, rising through the ranks to referee top-flight matches in the Gaza Premier League, where he was highly regarded for his fairness and mastery of high-stakes matches.

Demise: He was killed on December 20, 2024, following an 'Israeli' bombardment that directly targeted a house he had been displaced to in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia.

8. Suleiman Al-Abeid 

Background: A legendary 41-year-old icon of Palestinian football from Gaza, Al-Abeid was a star player for Khadamat Al-Shati and featured prominently for numerous elite Palestinian clubs. He earned 24 international caps representing the Palestinian National Team and was widely revered as the "Pelé of Palestine."

Demise: He was killed on August 6, 2025, when an 'Israeli' strike targeted an area where civilians were waiting in an aid distribution queue in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

9. Ouda Al-Hathalin 

Background: A 31-year-old footballer from Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, Al-Hathalin played for both Masafer Yatta Club and Susiya Club. He was a proud native of the village of Umm al-Kheir in the southern Hebron hills, and a prominent peaceful community activist who actively defended his ancestral lands against illegal settlement expansions.

He was shot and killed by an 'Israeli' settler on July 28, 2025, in his home village of Umm al-Kheir while trying to confront and repel a violent settler incursion.

10. Muhannad Al-Lilli 

Background: A 30-year-old professional footballer from Gaza, Al-Lilli started his senior career with Khadamat Al-Maghazi. He progressed cleanly into their first team before brief spells playing for Shabab Jabalia and Gaza Sports Club, eventually returning home to play for Khadamat Al-Maghazi.

He died from fatal injuries sustained when an 'Israeli' shelling directly hit his home in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp located in the central Gaza Strip.

11. Mohammad Barakat 

Background: A legendary 39-year-old icon of Gaza football, Barakat was from Khan Younis and proudly held the moniker "The Lion". He stands as the all-time historic top scorer of the Gaza League and was famously the very first player to score 100 goals in the Premier League.

He was killed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Khan Younis on March 11, 2024.

The Call to Action At the World Cup

As global brands spend billions of dollars on advertising and broadcasting rights for the 2026 matches, human rights advocates emphasize that silence equates to complicity.

The campaign stresses that the beautiful game cannot truly be celebrated while an entire nation's sporting fabric is systematically wiped away.

Visitors to the tournament and home viewers alike are being requested to use their platforms to put pressure on FIFA executives, ensuring that the names of Palestine's lost athletes are not buried beneath the spectacle of the World Cup.