UEFA pays tribute to slain Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid

DUBAI: UEFA unfurled a banner with the message “Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians” on the pitch on Wednesday ahead of the UEFA Super Cup showdown between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur in Udine, Italy.

The message came as a tribute following the death of Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele,” who was killed by Israeli gunfire while awaiting aid in Gaza earlier this month.

Nine child refugees from Palestine, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Iraq carried the banner onto the pitch before the game.

The international football community failed to publicly condemn Al-Obeid’s killing at first, but UEFA later posted a tribute without mentioning or explaining the circumstances surrounding his death. 

In a brief post on X, UEFA said the former national team member was “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.” 

Egyptian and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah criticized the tribute, saying: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”