World Cup dreams are alive for Lions of Canaan despite Israel's war on Gaza

Mohammed Rashid once worked as a forklift driver in a Chicago warehouse.

Fast forward to these grim times, and Rashid, along with his Palestinian football teammates, carries a heavier weight, knowing success on the field offers a little respite from the Israeli carnage in besieged Gaza.

Amid the backdrop of Israel's genocidal war in the blockaded enclave, now in its eighth month, an inspired Palestinian squad has produced a stirring run to reach the third round in Asia of World Cup qualifying for the first time.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Rashid said in Perth on Monday, on the eve of his team's last second-round game against Australia. "We're here for one cause and one goal. Whoever is on the team has to perform. There is no other way to it."

The Palestinian team, 93rd in the world rankings, has never come close to reaching the World Cup via the Asian Football Confederation's qualifying route. With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams, and Asia's automatic qualification allocation doubling to eight, there's a better chance to make history.

Despite their defeat against Australia, both teams were safe through the third round.

"Of course, it's [World Cup] a big dream," Rashid said. "Everything is possible. There's a lot of hard work that needs to be done before we get there."

Team officials discourage politically charged questions at news conferences. But the players are willing to publicly engage in conversations about the devastation in Gaza.

Playing "gives a chance to raise the name of Palestine to the whole world, and the World Cup is the biggest platform for this," said Rashid, a defensive midfielder.

"What's happening right now is affecting all of us. You can't help but be affected by it."

Struggles to move around

It's been a remarkable effort given the team hasn't played on home soil since 2019, having been forced to host matches in Kuwait and Qatar.

Players have had to flee for safety and seek overseas leagues. Rashid, who plays club soccer for Bali United in Indonesia, said for his team, the hardest part of competing in international competition was not being able to play at home.

"The last time we played Saudi Arabia at home, it was a full house. People were climbing trees to watch the game," he said. "We've had 28 games away, which is rough. But we're always playing for our people."

Some see the team's mere existence as a political statement. The Palestinian Football Association president, Jibril Rajoub, was denied an entry visa to Australia.

Rajoub is also a politician and heads the Palestinian Olympic Committee.

The visa issue surfaced on the weekend when the team arrived in Perth.

By Monday, Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was questioned about it in Canberra, the capital.

"These decisions are made at arm's length by the bodies, by the immigration department," Albanese said.

Rashid and his teammates are hoping to put that setback aside and continue to offer inspiration for Palestinians.

Palestinian players always struggled to remain focused on the pitch, especially after the start of Israel's genocidal war in the blockaded enclave and the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank.

In the lead-up to the Asian Cup of Nations last January, Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi received the news that Israel killed his cousin in Gaza.

Other players have also lost loved ones in the blockaded enclave.

Players including Ibrahim Abuimeir, Ahmed Kullab and Khaled Al Nabris were unable to join the Lions of Canaan, or Al Fida'i [The Redeemers], after being stuck in besieged Gaza last November. Others also faced issues travelling due to violence by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Annexation of land and sports

The Palestinian Football Association [PFA] was established in 1928, 20 years before Israel was created by European Zionists. PFA was accepted by FIFA in 1998.

Palestine expanded its football in the early 20th century, with many clubs emerging, many of which were location-based clubs and religiously affiliated clubs, including the Orthodox clubs in Jerusalem, the Islamic Club of Jaffa and the Islamic Club of Haifa.

As Zionist Jews colonised Palestine and established Israel with the help of Western powers, many Jewish clubs from Europe also migrated illegally to Palestine over the years.

The growing sports sector in historic Palestine declined, especially after the killing of many Palestinian players amid the illegal expansion of Israeli colonisers.