Palestine Announce World Cup Qualifying Squad with Poignant Video Filmed in Gaza

The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has announced its 26-man squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Jordan and Iraq, using a video filmed in Gaza to reveal the selected players. The touching video features a group of Palestinian children amidst the backdrop of a region heavily impacted by Israel’s genocidal war.

The 3-minute, 11-second video depicts children discovering portraits of Palestinian national team players within the ruins of buildings. The children gather, displaying the portraits around a damaged football pitch before playing a game. The video begins with the image of Musab Battat. The PFA highlights the impact of the ongoing conflict, noting that over 48,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including at least 380 footballers, since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. A fragile ceasefire happened on mid-January 2025 even though Israel continue to block aid from entering Gaza and keep killing Palestinians.

The Palestine national team has revealed their roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers through a touching video filmed in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Zq6492k0L6

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 14, 2025

Palestine had hoped to host the qualifying matches at the Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium in Al-Ram, a suburb of Jerusalem. However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) denied permission for matches to be played on Palestinian territory. As a result, both qualifiers will be held at the Amman International Stadium in Jordan. Palestine will face Jordan on March 20th and Iraq on March 25th. Ehab Abu Jazar is the current head coach.

The squad announcement, presented in this unconventional and emotionally charged manner, underscores the challenges faced by Palestinian football and the resilience of the team and its supporters amidst the Israeli occupation. The PFA did not release the names of the players.