Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has publicly criticized UEFA for its tribute to Suleiman al-Obeid, a former Palestinian national team player known as the “Palestinian Pele,” who was killed in Gaza.
The European football governing body’s statement failed to mention the circumstances of al-Obeid’s death, prompting Salah to demand clarity.
The Palestine Football Association reported that al-Obeid, aged 41, died on Wednesday due to an Israeli attack on civilians seeking humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.
UEFA’s post on X described al-Obeid as a talent who inspired countless children, but it omitted any reference to how or why he died.
On Friday, UEFA posted a brief message on X, calling al-Obeid “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Salah responded the following day, stating, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
His comment highlighted the absence of context in UEFA’s tribute, drawing significant attention online.
Bassil Mikdadi, founder of Football Palestine, expressed skepticism about UEFA issuing a follow-up, noting the organization’s “complete silence” on the broader conflict in Gaza.
Mikdadi also remarked that UEFA’s acknowledgment of al-Obeid was unexpected, given that over 400 Palestinian footballers have died in the ongoing war, with al-Obeid being among the most prominent.
The United Nations reports that over 1,000 people have been killed near aid distribution sites in Gaza since late May, following the establishment of the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The Palestine Football Association stated that al-Obeid’s death is part of a larger toll, with Israeli attacks contributing to at least 61,430 deaths and 153,213 injuries in Gaza.
Additionally, 217 people, including 100 children, have died from starvation since the conflict began.
Global protests in cities like Buenos Aires, London, and Istanbul have called for action to end the genocide.