Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has publicly called out UEFA for what he described as a half-told story in its tribute to late Palestinian football legend Suleiman al-Obeid. The Egyptian star criticized the European football governing body for omitting the cause of death, that the 41-year-old was fatally shot by Israeli forces in Gaza.
According to the Palestine Football Association (PFA), Al-Obeid was killed on Wednesday when Israeli gunfire struck a crowd of civilians waiting for humanitarian supplies in the southern Gaza Strip.
On Friday, UEFA posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Salah responded pointedly:
“Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
The Egyptian international has been outspoken about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, previously donating to the Egyptian Red Crescent to assist relief efforts.
A Career That Inspired a Nation
Al-Obeid, who made his debut for Palestine in 2007, earned 24 caps and scored two international goals, including a spectacular scissor-kick against Yemen in the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship. Over the course of his playing career, he netted more than 100 goals, cementing his reputation as one of Palestinian football’s brightest stars and earning the nickname “the Palestinian Pelé” in homage to the Brazilian legend.
Sports Under Siege in Gaza
The PFA reported that Al-Obeid’s death is part of a devastating pattern—at least 662 athletes and their relatives have been killed since the conflict escalated. This includes 421 footballers, among them 103 children, with some dying from starvation.
The sporting infrastructure has also been heavily targeted. Out of 288 damaged or destroyed sports facilities in Gaza and the West Bank, 268 were in Gaza alone. These included stadiums, training pitches, gyms, and clubhouses, with about half dedicated solely to football. The PFA’s Gaza headquarters was among the facilities reduced to rubble in an Israeli airstrike.
According to humanitarian monitors, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed near aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since late May, when the US- and Israeli-backed logistics initiative began operating.
