The sad celebration of the World Cup final in Palestine

For a few hours, Ramallah, the capital of occupied West Bank, wanted to believe that the world could be reduced to a giant screen, a ball and a World Cup final. In the Palestinian city, red shirts filled the squares and vendors were doing the last business of the night: the last Spanish flags were running out as the time of the match approached. Dozens of Palestinians had gathered at different points to watch the final between Spain and Argentina. One of the main spaces was a venue on the outskirts of the center: a vacant lot converted for a few days into a small World Cup party, with food stalls, colored lights, music from the speakers, merchandise, and entire families ready to live a night they wanted to be different.“Can I borrow the flag? I want a photo,” asked Amal, a young Palestinian woman. “Spain has made us feel like we are not alone, that's why we support la roja”. For many Palestinians, Spain represents not just a football team, but, above all, a political symbol. The recognition of the Palestinian state by the Spanish government in 2024 and its critical stance on the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government have made Spain one of the countries viewed with the most sympathy by a significant portion of Palestinian society, in Gaza and the West Bank.In the venue, those who supported Argentina were a minority. Since the arrival of the far-right leader Javier Milei to the presidency, Buenos Aires has strengthened its proximity to Israel. Milei's relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is close, to the point that Netanyahu himself wished Argentina victory before the final. “I honestly don't understand how they can go with them,” commented Khalil, a father of a family, pointing to one of the few young fans of the albiceleste. “One team represents one thing and the other represents another.”A touch of normality

When Spain scored, the venue erupted. Shouts, hugs, jumps on chairs. “Long live Spain!”, could be heard from the crowd. People who didn't know each other congratulated each other as if they shared the same history and, for a few moments, football granted something that reality rarely offers: a feeling of euphoria and normality.But the joy was short-lived. A few minutes later, the organizers stopped the broadcast. One of them came out in front of the audience and announced that two Palestinians had been murdered in an attack by settlers in a nearby area. “Let’s have a minute of silence and when the game ends we will turn off the screen,” he announced. The news changed the atmosphere instantly. The same people who a few minutes earlier were jumping and shouting fell silent.According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the attack occurred in Deir Jarir, a town northeast of Ramallah, where residents reported the entry of settlers with the aim of seizing the livestock of Palestinian shepherds. In the attack, Ahmad Adel Abu Mukho, 26, and Odeh Abdul Rahim Farakhneh, 53, were killed and three other people were injured.The death of another young man in an attack prior to the final, during the World Cup, was also confirmed: Fadi Hamdallah Al-Nassan, a 17-year-old Palestinian footballer from the Al-Mughayyir club and a member of the Palestinian youth team, died after being shot during an attack by settlers in his town.The same day, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs, settlers set fire to two houses and a mosque south of Hebron, and near Nablus, four Palestinians were injured in another attack, according to local sources.Record of colonial violence

In recent years, Palestinian, Israeli, and international organizations have documented an increase in settler attacks against the Palestinian population in the West Bank: physical assaults, arson of homes and vehicles, destruction of property, attacks against farmers, and displacement of entire communities.According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in what we have of 2026 settler violence has reached record levels. The agency has documented more than 1,200 incidents with victims or material damage in more than 240 Palestinian communities, an average of about six incidents per day. Up to sixteen Palestinian children have been killed and 187 have been injured in incidents related to Israeli forces or settlers.Organizations like Amnesty International denounce that these incidents often occur under the gaze of the Israeli forces, while the Israeli authorities deny this and defend that they intervene and investigate those responsible when necessary.In Ramallah, the night that had begun as a promise of collective joy ended with the screen off, some shouts of celebration, and most people leaving in almost silence. For a while, football had offered a respite, but reality imposed itself again. In Palestine, the World Cup final ended before the match.