Palestinian Amputee Footballers Played Their Own Mock World Cup Final In A Damaged Stadium In Gaza
The match was held under the message “Goal for Gaza” to highlight the experiences of amputee athletes and their determination to continue playing.
Palestinian amputee football players recreated the World Cup final inside a stadium heavily damaged by Israel, playing on crutches while wearing Spain and Argentina jerseys.
On July 18, the players took to Palestine Stadium in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, one day before Spain and Argentina met in the real World Cup final, according to Euronews.
The players, many of whom had lost arms or legs during Israel’s genocide in Gaza, are part of an amputee football team called Gaza al-Irada, meaning Gaza Determination, which is coached by Hatem al-Maghribi.
The match was held under the message “Goal for Gaza” to highlight the experiences of amputee athletes and their determination to continue playing despite their injuries and the destruction surrounding them.
The players warmed up alongside referees before posing with a replica World Cup trophy and playing the match on crutches.
The team representing Spain won 3-1.
Footage of the match was widely shared online, with people describing it as both heartbreaking and a symbol of Palestinian resilience during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Ahead of the World Cup final, the team shared a message supporting Spain, saying “Whoever raises the Palestinian flag deserves to raise the World Cup,” according to the Guardian.
Many Palestinians in Gaza supported Spain during the World Cup because of the Spanish government’s support for Palestinians rights and public gestures of solidarity from Spanish athletes.
Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024.
Barcelona and Spain player Lamine Yamal also became popular among Palestinians after waving a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s league title celebrations in May 2026, according to Al Jazeera.
“These players lost their legs and their arms, but they have not lost their words of gratitude, love and appreciation,” al-Maghribi told Al Jazeera.
Spain went on to defeat Argentina 1-0 after extra time on July 19, winning its second men’s World Cup title.
More than five thousand people in Gaza have lost limbs during Israel's genocide in Gaza, according to the World Health Organization, and about one in five of them are children.
According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Israel has killed at least 567 members of Gaza’s football community, including players, coaches, referees and administrators, since Oct. 7, 2023, Al Jazeera reported.
The association said in August 2025 that at least 421 of those killed were football players, including 103 children, while some died from starvation caused by Israel’s blockade, according to Anadolu Agency.
All of Gaza’s major stadiums are out of service, with many destroyed or being used as shelters for displaced Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera.
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