Mohamed Salah directly calls out UEFA after death of ‘Palestinian Pele’
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has taken to social media to pose a question UEFA, after a statement was released regarding the death of Suleiman al-Obeid.
According to the Palestine Football Association, al-Obeid, known as the ‘Palestinian Pele’ was killed on Wednesday, when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid.
The 41-year-old is among the 421 footballers to have died since the conflict began in 2023, including children.
Salah questions UEFA on Al-Obeid post
Salah is among the footballers to have spoken out in the months since the conflict in Gaza began.
The Egyptian commented on the situation in 2023, pleading with world leaders to intervene in the region after over 500 people were killed in an explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
UEFA have so far resisted calls to ban Israel from competing on an international football level, with the latest death of a Palestinian football set to further intensify pressure.
Al-Obeid was among Palestine’s brightest footballing talents, playing for several teams in Gaza and the West Bank and scoring over 100 goals – earning himself the comparison to Brazilian footballing legend Pele.
The striker played for his national team from 2007 to 2013, and scored two international goals.
UEFA took to social media to post a statement on the player’s death, writing: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele.’
“A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Salah responded to the message on X, writing: “Can you tell us how he died, where and why?”
The Egyptian’s point to UEFA’s failure to point out Al-Obeid’s killers, amid their reluctance to ban Israel from international football, was widely received on social media, earning more than 290,000 likes and nearly eight million views.
Calls on UEFA to intensify further
According to the Palestine Football Association, 288 sports facilities across Gaza and the West Bank have been damaged or destroyed since the conflict began, including stadiums and training grounds.
In March 2024, Palestinian footballer Mohammed Barakat was killed in an airstrike conducted by Israeli forces in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
Al-Obeid’s death is the latest in a long line of the tragic consequences of Israeli attacks, with more 60,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Sooner or later, UEFA must act amid further intensifying pressure from the wider football world.
Sign up for the Liverpool News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Liverpool news sent straight to your phone.