Palestinian football set to resume in September with new commemorative cup

In a press briefing in Ramallah, the Palestinian Football Association declared that its leagues will resume on September 4, ending a near three-year hiatus caused by the war that began on October 7, 2023. The first competition back will be the “Thousand Martyrs’ Cup,” a tournament honoring the 1,014 Palestinian athletes killed during the conflict, according to the association’s records. Over 200 clubs are slated to take part, including 146 from the West Bank, 44 from Gaza and 36 from refugee camps in Lebanon, with matches launching concurrently in all three regions.

President Jibril Rajoub highlighted the financial hardships faced by clubs and urged FIFA and other federations to safeguard the right of players and children to enjoy sport with dignity. He also reiterated demands for FIFA to enforce its regulations uniformly, including possible sanctions on Israeli clubs in occupied West Bank settlements and suspension of Israel’s FIFA membership.