Palestine on course for historic World Cup qualification
Palestine’s 1-0 victory against Bangladesh on Tuesday means the country is on course for a first appearance in the final round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
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Moments after going down to 10 men in stoppage time, Palestine found the breakthrough they needed to keep their 2026 World Cup qualifying dream alive.
Defender Michel Termanini clinched the decisive goal with under four minutes remaining, securing Palestine's dramatic 1-0 triumph over Bangladesh in the second leg of their match. The victory was achieved amidst challenging hot and humid conditions in Dhaka, with many of the players observing fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Playing the match at this time was a challenge for the players, but in the end we achieved victory and we will continue the journey.” Termanini, who scored the winning goal, said in the post-match press conference. "We can compete for the second ticket from this group to reach the third round in a historic achievement, especially since we have a strong team."
Having accumulated seven points in four matches—five more than Lebanon and six clear of Bangladesh—Palestine remain second in Group I behind Australia. The top two teams from each of the nine groups in the second round progress to the final round where Asia’s increased automatic allocation of eight World Cup places will be on offer.
Palestine, who will next face Lebanon on June 5, need just one point in their next two games to secure a historic first appearance in the final round of qualifying, as well as automatic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Palestine’s continued success in international football is a feat that should not go overlooked. The national team, known as Al Fida'i (warriors), was formed in 1998, when FIFA officially recognized Palestine as an official member—the first international sports organization to do so at the time. The team went on to secure third place in the 1999 Pan-Arab Games, which remains their best performance at an international tournament.
Earlier this year, Palestine reached the knockout stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, eventually falling to the host nation in the round of 16.
The Palestinian national team is made up of players from Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, among others. Some of the players are from the diaspora, while others hold Israeli citizenship. The vast majority of the players can count friends and family among the victims of the mounting death toll in Gaza, as Israel continues its devastating attacks on the besieged strip in the wake of October 7.
“They are suffering,” the team's coach, Makram Daboub, told AFP regarding his players ahead of the Asian Cup.
According to a report published by the Palestinian Football Association on March 17, no less than 99 footballers, including 26 children, have been killed as a result of Israeli violence. Among the notable names is Hany Al-Masdar, a former player and manager of the Olympic team, and Mohammed Barakat, Gaza’s first centurion of goals and a former national team player known as the “Legend of Khan Younis.”
The report also revealed that Israel has destroyed or partially damaged no less than 28 football facilities in Palestine since the start of the war, 22 in Gaza and six in the West Bank. These include all of Gaza’s professional football stadiums, as well as the PFA headquarters, which was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
Meanwhile, smaller facilities and dirt pitches have been transformed into makeshift refugee camps, field hospitals, and mass graves.
Al Yarmouk Stadium—one of the oldest sports facilities in Gaza—was transformed into a makeshift internment camp for Palestinian detainees, where dozens of men, women and children were rounded up, stripped down to their underwear, and blindfolded while Israeli soldiers posed for photos.
Even amidst the desolation of Palestinian football, the national team persists in defying expectations, steadily advancing towards a groundbreaking World Cup qualification. Should they succeed, the team would stand as a beacon of national defiance, embodying the unwavering resilience of Palestine and its people.
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