Seoul’s World Cup stadium is one of the most partisan and intimidating football stadiums in Asia. The unwavering devotion – bordering on obsession – of South Korea’s fans can make even the biggest teams uncomfortable in this cauldron.
On Thursday, however, home fans proudly displayed flags, scarves and banners in support of South Korea’s opponent: Palestine.
Amid a sea of red jerseys, mirroring the colour of the home team’s kit, large pockets of the 66,000-capacity stadium displayed flags and messages of support for the visiting team.
The poignant atmosphere set the stage for Palestine’s first-ever match in the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
It was also an unforgettable night on the pitch, as coach Makram Daboub’s side came away with a deserved and invaluable point after a 0-0 draw against the Asian football giants, thanks to Rami Hamadeh’s imperial goalkeeping and South Korea’s errant finishing.
While pre-match favourites Taegeuk Warriors were denied a home win, Palestine also had to rue Jo Hyeon-woo’s fine stop in added time to deny Wessam Abou Ali a historic goal.
Any regrets, if any, were swept away by the scenes of jubilation at the end of the match.
Wide smiles and warm hugs capped a historic night for the players and support staff, who stepped up to represent Palestine on the biggest stages as war rages in Gaza.
The Canaan Lions took to the field with a firm belief in their ability to achieve their dream of reaching the pinnacle of world football.
“I’m still dreaming,” Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid told Tel Aviv Tribune ahead of the qualifiers.
“They (Israeli forces) are trying to kill our dreams, but we will not let them stop us from achieving them. We can never stop dreaming.”
“It is one of the simplest and most fundamental human rights on earth. We all have the right to dream. I know it is difficult to reach the World Cup (final), but in football, everything is possible.
“Being in this position (in qualifying) is already a dream, and moving on to the next step is another one.”
Flying the flag of Palestine
As the team faces the challenges that lie ahead in 2026, Palestinians in Gaza continue to be targeted by Israeli forces, who have killed more than 40,000 people and injured more than 94,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed in attacks by Hamas on October 7, which sparked the current war.
The nearly year-long war has also had an impact on football, the most popular sport in Palestine, and on the Palestinian football team.
According to the Palestinian Football Association, at least 410 athletes, sports officials and coaches were killed in the war in August. Among them, 297 were footballers, including 84 children who dreamed of playing for Palestine.
After the war began, Susan Shalabi, vice-president of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), began tracking football-related deaths in Gaza. She tried to humanize the numbers and tell their stories.
However, she had to stop as she struggled to cope with the growing number of people affected and the emotional burden of grieving the loss.
The trauma of war and the loss of friends and family also took a toll on players.
“No human being, Palestinian or not, can see what is happening and not be affected by it,” Palestinian international Rashid said.
He then reveals his coping mechanism: “Two days before the game, I try my best not to watch the news because it really affects us.”
Rashid said that while other players may deal with their emotions differently, there is no denying that it is “pretty difficult” for everyone to continue playing.
He explains that “raising the flag of Palestine” means more than any result.
“There is more than football,” the Ramallah-born player said.
The 29-year-old said the team plays for every Palestinian at home, every Palestinian who is abroad and in refugee camps around the world.
“We never play for ourselves. When we play for the national team, we represent the entire Palestinian community around the world.”
A home away from home
After the draw in Seoul in Palestine’s first qualifying match, the team travelled to Kuala Lumpur to “welcome” Jordan to the Malaysian capital.
Since the October 7 attacks in southern Israel and the ensuing war, Palestine has not been able to play an international match at home.
In November, they were due to host Australia at Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in Ar-Ram, northeast of Jerusalem, but security concerns ruled otherwise. It would be their first home game since a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in October 2019.
In the previous round of World Cup qualifiers, Palestine’s home games were played in Kuwait and Qatar, while Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria also offered to host them.
Malaysia, a staunch ally of Palestine, made the same offer, and to reduce travel from Seoul, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the host of this tantalising all-Arab match.
Although Palestine can expect strong support from the local population and the Palestinian community in Malaysia, there is no substitute for playing at home.
It remains to be seen whether Palestine can host Kuwait at home for their next home match on October 15.
FIFA has granted the PFA conditional permission to host matches at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, but the logistics are not straightforward. And until the PFA is able to turn that hope into reality, Palestine will be forced to find neutral grounds for its home games.
They draw strength from knowing that many nations have opened their arms to welcome Palestine.
“It means a lot to us,” PFA’s Shalabi said. “We feel like we’re not alone, and that’s very important for a people who are besieged, tormented and killed.”
For Palestine to achieve its dream of qualifying for the North American World Cup in 2026, it must achieve one of two scenarios: finish among the top two teams in its group – which, in addition to South Korea and Jordan, also includes Iraq, Oman and Kuwait – or finish the current round in third or fourth place and advance to the fourth round, in which six teams will fight for the last two automatic spots.
The official FIFA ranking places Palestine (96) far behind South Korea (22), Iraq (55) and Jordan (68), making it difficult for them to finish ahead of these three countries. However, finishing third or fourth and giving themselves another chance to qualify is quite possible.
The hope of the Palestinian people
There is no doubt that the team represents hope for the Palestinian people. The story of PFA Deputy General Secretary Sami Abu Al Hussein shows just how much this is the case.
Al Hussein decided to separate his family members to avoid losing his two children in an Israeli attack. If they were in separate places, he believed, one would survive if the other died.
Despite the war and the division of his family, Al Hussein called his colleague Shalabi to express his excitement about the qualifications and convey the emotions of people seeking a brief respite from the war.
“It symbolises the hope that the team represents for Palestine,” said Shalabi, who is also a member of the executive committee of the Asian Football Confederation.
“We are very proud of them because what they are doing now gives a voice to all of Palestine, especially those living under this genocide in Gaza,” she said.
“If all they could accomplish was to make a child in Gaza smile, they would have done enough.”
