Gaza Celebrates Spain's World Cup Triumph, Citing Support for Palestinian Rights

Palestinians across Gaza celebrated Spain's victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the team's success represented more than football because of Spain's outspoken support for Palestinian rights.

People gathered in cafés and at outdoor screenings despite the risk of Israeli airstrikes, waving Spanish flags and cheering for a team many said they had embraced as their own. Many supporters also paid tribute to teenage star Lamine Yamal, who displayed a Palestinian flag during Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations in May.

Ahead of the final, Gaza's Al-Irada Amputee Football Team released a video message saying, "Whoever raises the Palestinian flag deserves to raise the World Cup."

Saadi al-Masri, captain of the amputee football team, said he backed Spain because the country has consistently supported Palestinian rights.

Spain has emerged as one of Europe's strongest critics of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and has called for tougher European Union measures over alleged human rights violations. When Israeli Defence Minister criticized Yamal for displaying the Palestinian flag, accusing him of inciting hatred, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the young footballer, saying he had simply expressed the solidarity with Palestine shared by millions of Spaniards.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who maintains close ties with Argentine President Javier Milei, publicly wished Argentina success before the final.

Following Spain's victory, the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations shared an image of the Spanish national team with the caption, "World Champions."

Despite widespread enthusiasm for the tournament, many Gazans struggled to follow the matches because ongoing conflict has forced most of the territory's more than two million residents into displacement camps with limited access to electricity and the internet.

Twenty-three-year-old Arkan al-Walaida said she visited internet cafés every morning to watch match highlights on TikTok, YouTube and FIFA's official social media platforms. After learning that Spain had won, she said she was overwhelmed with emotion, describing Spain's support as "a sign of humanity."

Although cafés erupted in celebration after the final whistle, fears of Israeli airstrikes prevented large public festivities from continuing late into the night.

Earlier this month, Palestinian aid worker Mohamed al-Wahidi, who organized public World Cup screenings in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that also claimed the lives of two young brothers and another man. The Israeli military confirmed the strike but said al-Wahidi had not been the intended target.