Catalonia's double triumph on a historic afternoon for Palestine

BarcelonaPerhaps 35,000 tickets weren't sold, as they were in the Basque Country on the very day it was announced that Catalonia and Palestine would play a charity friendly at the Lluís Companys Stadium. Perhaps San Mamés wasn't packed with over 50,000 people. Perhaps everything was more difficult, like getting the match finally played at Montjuïc due to the initial reluctance of the Catalan Football Federation, the cost of the stadium, and doubts about the capacity to draw a crowd and mobilize people. But up to 30,000 souls, spurred on by the match organizer Act x Palestine and by the power of the people—because without people willing to anonymously pull their weight, these things would never work—thousands upon thousands of people braved the cold on a Tuesday in November to climb Montjuïc and cheer on the team of their choice. The score in favor of the Catalan team (2-1) is irrelevant. It's a triumph of solidarity between peoples.

From an hour before the match, solidarity activities and support for Palestine continued unabated, enlivening the pre-game atmosphere as a steady stream of people gradually filled the Montjuïc stands. Several organizations volunteered their time to express their support. A cultural blend of Catalan and Palestinian traditions entertained the crowd as they waited for the game. Dances, human towers, stick dancers, devils, and groups from all over Catalonia were present. The anthems of Catalonia and Palestine were performed by a special ensemble led by the Al-Balad Choir, featuring the voices of Salma Alhakim, Yusor Hamed, and Kelly Isaiah, under the artistic direction of Selma Bruna. The proceeds from the match will go to Palestine, focusing on three key areas: humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza; justice and an end to impunity for Israelis; and culture as a tool for community resilience.

Slogans of support for Palestine

When the whistle blew, football was the least of anyone's concerns, but the players of both teams wanted to honor their profession while chants of support for Palestine, as well as pro-independence slogans, echoed through the stands. A mosaic of the Catalan and Palestinian flags was also unveiled, presided over by three majestic Catalan independence flags (esteladas) and a large Palestinian flag. The stands were a mix of flags: Catalan independence flags, Palestinian flags, and Palestinian scarves, which even reached the VIP box. Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona from the PSC party, was present, although the lead-up to the match had caused a stir because the Socialists had refused to participate in a joint photo op with Junts, ERC, Comuns, and the CUP under the slogan "One nation, one team." Josep Rull, president of the Parliament of Catalonia, attended the match. However, neither Josep Soteras, president of the Catalan Football Federation, nor Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, ​​were in attendance. Both had cited personal reasons. The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, was also absent, as he was attending the 20th Blanquerna Prize ceremony in Madrid.

Hansi Flick, the Barça coach, did attend in a personal capacity, as he didn't want to miss the 45 minutes. which was contested by the only Barcelona player, Marc Bernal. The Catalan team didn't take long to take the lead, with a header from Ilie Sánchez, a player for Austin FC in MLS, after a fine cross from Sergi Gómez. The second goal came as an own goal when Majahna unfortunately deflected a pass from Joel Roca. Meanwhile, the crowd erupted in celebration. Half an hour into the game, Zeidan narrowed the gap after pouncing on a rebound from a corner. There was an explosion of emotion in the stadium at the goal scored by the proud team of a country devastated by the genocide perpetrated by Israel, which Montjuïc never tired of condemning.

The second half was much more uneventful in football terms, with no goals. That's how it was. After the final whistle, the match ended with the players exchanging jerseys and the crowd chanting "Long live Catalonia!" and, above all, with the entire stadium calling for freedom for the Palestinian people. In July 1936, Barcelona and Montjuïc were to host the People's Olympiad, an internationalist and anti-fascist initiative intended to counter the Berlin Olympic Games, organized by the Nazi regime. That spirit of resistance and fraternity returned to Montjuïc. On November 18, 2025, at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, the chant "Anti-fascist Catalonia and Palestinian freedom" was heard.