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Palestine national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Palestine women's national football team. For the team active from 1934 to 1940, see Mandatory Palestine national football team.

Palestine
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)أُسُودُ كَنعَان (Lions of Canaan)
الْفَدَائِي (The Fedayeen)
الْفُرْسَان (The Knights)
AssociationPalestinian Football Association
(الإتِّحَادُ الْفِلَسْطِيْنِيّ لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachMakram Daboub
CaptainMusab Al-Battat
Most capsAbdelatif Bahdari (82)
Top scorerOday Dabbagh (17)
Home stadiumFaisal Al-Husseini International Stadium
FIFA codePLE
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 100 Decrease 2 (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest73 (February – March 2018)
Lowest191 (April – August 1999)
First international
 Egypt 5–0 Mandatory Palestine 
(Cairo, Egypt; 4 April 1930)
Biggest win
 Palestine 11–0 Guam 
(Dhaka, Bangladesh; 1 April 2006)
Biggest defeat
 Lebanon 9–1 Palestine 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 8 August 1953)
Asian Cup
Appearances4 (first in 2015)
Best resultRound of 16 (2023)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2006)
Best resultChampions (2014)
WAFF Championship
Appearances10 (first in 2000)
Best resultGroup stage (7 times)
Medal record
Men's football
AFC Challenge Cup
Gold medal – first place 2014 Maldives Team
Arab Games
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Amman Team

The Palestine national football team (Arabic: منتخب فِلَسطِيْن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم), governed by the Palestinian Football Association, represents Palestine in association football. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide.

A football federation in Mandatory Palestine was founded in 1928. The national team was not recognized by FIFA until 1998, after the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. The same year, Palestine played their first FIFA-recognized match in a 3–1 defeat to Lebanon in a friendly. The team has won the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, thanks to a 1–0 win over the Philippines in the final. Their win in the competition qualified them to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, marking their first appearance in the competition. Palestine also qualified to the following edition of the Asian Cup in 2019, their first through regular qualification. They have yet to qualify for the World Cup.

The Palestinian team is known by various nicknames: "Lions of Canaan" (Arabic: أُسُودُ كَنعَان), "the Fedayoon" (Arabic: الْفَدَائِيُّون), "the Knights" (Arabic: الْفُرْسَان). Their main colours are red and white. The team reached an all-time high position of 73rd in the FIFA ranking in February 2018, after going on a 12-match unbeaten streak, from 29 March 2016 to 22 March 2018. Palestine's main venue is the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram, although they have been forced to play in neutral stadiums for home matches on numerous occasions.

History

1928–1940: Mandatory Palestine

Main article: Mandatory Palestine national football team

Football has a long tradition in Palestine. The game was originally introduced during the time of the Ottoman Empire. The Palestinian Football Association was formed in August 1928, and joined FIFA in June 1929, but at the time, the association was made up of Arab clubs, Jewish clubs, and clubs representing British policemen and soldiers serving in the region during the British Mandate rule that spanned the period between World War I and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.[citation needed]

The Mandatory Palestine national team made its debut against Cairo (Egypt) in 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification, losing 0–5 in Cairo, Egypt. The team played five international matches, including a friendly match against Lebanon that Palestine won 1–5; until the British Mandate for Palestine national team was dissolved. During those five games, the national team fielded only Jewish players.[2]

Maccabi leader Yosef Yekutieli attempted for Maccabi Association's membership in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) as early as 1925.[3] The application was turned down, as only associations representing states could be admitted as members. Yekutieli thus decided to create the Palestine Football Association (PFA). Maccabi officials were obliged to include Arab teams. The association's first session was held in the summer of 1928. Notwithstanding the fourteen Jewish representatives that partook, one Arab delegate participated – an individual representing Arab Sports Club of Jerusalem.[4] FIFA accepted the PFA on 17 May 1929 and during the first years of the PFA, Arab clubs partook in PFA sanctioned-matches.[5] During this time, 11 of the 69 PFA teams were Arab, but after the mid-1930s, until its transformation into the IFA, its membership became largely Jewish with only minor Arab membership.[6]

1931–1998: Arab representation and first tournaments

The Arab Palestinian Sports Federation (APSF) was born in April 1931 due to the belief that the PFA did not represent Arab interests. A Palestinian national team played its first match against a squad from the American University of Beirut in the same year according to Falastin.[7] Due to the 1936 revolt, the activities of the APSF were hampered and the federation completely disappeared toward the end of the 1930s.[8]

While the PFA was established in 1928, the first international match played by Palestine was an 8–1 defeat away to Egypt in 1953.[9] The last game saw Palestine lose to Libya 5–2, to finish bottom of the group.[citation needed]

At the 1965 Arab Games, Palestine were grouped with Aden, Iraq, Lebanon and the United Arab Republic. They finished second, thus advancing to the semi-finals for the first time. Palestine faced Sudan and were beaten 2–1. In the third place play-off, Palestine met Libya, where they lost 4–2. Palestine participated in the 1966 Arab Cup held in Iraq; they were drawn in Group B alongside Syria, Libya and North Yemen. Starting with a 0–0 draw to Libya, Palestine beat North Yemen 7–0 before losing 3–1 to Syria. They ended the tournament with four points and failed to qualify to the knock-out stages of the competition.[10]

Palestine were drawn alongside Libya, North Yemen and Syria in the 1966 Arab Cup. With one win, a draw and a loss, Palestine was eliminated in the group stage.[11]

The national team participated in the 1976 Arab Games, held in Damascus. Palestine started their campaign with two defeats to Morocco (3–0) and Saudi Arabia (3–1), before defeating Jordan (2–1). They lost to hosts Syria (2–0) in their fourth game of the tournament, drew against South Yemen (0–0), and finished with a win against Mauritania (1–0) to end the tournament in 6th place.[12] Palestine participated in the 1992 Arab Cup held in Syria; they were drawn in Group B alongside the hosts and Saudi Arabia but were eliminated from the group stage after one draw and one loss.[13]

1998–2014: International recognition

In May 1995, the PFA was granted the status of provisional member in FIFA. Palestine eventually gained FIFA membership on 8 June 1998 after numerous attempts since 1946.[14][8] Under Ricardo Carugati, Palestine played their first official matches in July 1998 against Lebanon, Jordan and Syria at the 1998 Arab Cup qualification.[15]

In the next year, Palestine took part in the 1999 Arab Games held in Jordan. There, they won games against Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, drew with Libya and Syria, while only losing to hosts Jordan. Palestine finished in the third-place which is their best result to date. In their first ever Asian Cup qualification, Palestine was drawn into a five-team group with Jordan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Qatar. A single victory 2–0 against Pakistan proved to be not enough to qualify as they lost 1–0 to Qatar, 5–1 to Jordan before finishing the campaign with a 2–0 defeat to Kazakhstan.[16]

Managed by Mustafa Yacoub, Palestine drew into Group C of the 2002 World Cup qualification along with Hong Kong, Malaysia and Qatar. The team finished in second place. In the 2002 Arab Cup, Palestine crashed out of the group stage. Under Nicola Hadwa Shahwan, the team were drawn alongside Kuwait, Qatar and Singapore. Palestine finished last with two points.[citation needed]

After a failed Asian Cup qualifying campaign, the PFA hired Austrian coach Alfred Riedl to lead the team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification. Palestine was included in a group with Uzbekistan, Iraq and Chinese Taipei. They won both games against Chinese Taipei, drew 2–2 with Iraq, however this was insufficient for Palestine to advance beyond the second round as they lost both fixtures versus Uzbekistan 3–0 apart from a 3–0 defeat at the hands of Iraq. Palestine took part in the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup held in Bangladesh. They were drawn alongside the host team, Cambodia and Guam. In the group stage, Palestine registered their biggest win ever, a 11–0 victory over Guam. Palestine advanced from Group C and met Kyrgyzstan in the quarter-finals. After playing a goal-lees first half, they were beaten with a last-gasp goal. In the summer of 2006, Palestine achieved its highest FIFA ranking at 115, placing them 16th in the Asian continent.[citation needed]

Managed by Azmi Nassar, Palestine were drawn with China national football team, Iraq and Singapore during the 2007 Asian Cup qualification. Palestine finished in the bottom with 4 points. They achieved their only win against Singapore 1–0.[17]

In 2008, with the help of FIFA's goal program, the PFA built the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, and on 26 October 2008. Palestine held a match at their home for the first time since they became a member of FIFA, a 1–1 draw with Jordan ahead of a crowd of over 7,000.[18] Palestine entered the first round of 2010 World Cup qualification and were eliminated after only one match that finished 4–0 for Singapore. The second leg was not played as scheduled due to the Palestinian team being barred from traveling.[19] However, the FIFA refused to reschedule the match and Palestine forfeited the game 3–0.[20]

The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifying draw put Palestine in Group C, with Afghanistan (later withdrew), Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal. They started the run with a goalless draw against hosts Nepal.[21] The final game finished in a 1–1 draw with Kyrgyzstan to miss the chance of qualification on goal difference.[22]

Palestine drew into group C with Jordan, Libya and Sudan for the 2011 Arab Games. They lost the opening match 4–1 to Jordan in Doha. The team improved in the second match against Libya which finished 1–1. The last game against Sudan was won by Palestine 2–0 to clinch the second-place berth in the tournament.[23] At the semi-finals they lost 3–1 to Bahrain. The team completed their campaign with a 3–0 loss to Kuwait.[citation needed]

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Palestine were drawn with Afghanistan in the first round. The first leg was won 2–0,[24] while the second leg ended in a draw 1–1.[25] On 3 July 2011, the first World Cup qualifying match played at home, Palestine took the lead with a long-range shot by Houssam Wadi. Palestine reached the second round to face Thailand. The first match was lost 1–0 in Buriram, while the second match resulted in Palestine's elimination.[citation needed]

The PFA chose not to renew Moussa Bezaz's contract after exiting the second round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Jamal Mahmoud, a former player and manager of Al-Wehdat, was announced as the national team manager in November 2011, after two disastrous friendly matches, without a permanent manager saw defeats against Indonesia and Iran 4–1 and 7–0, respectively. Palestine made history by playing and defeating their first UEFA rival Azerbaijan, on 2–0.[26] The match was later registered as unofficial for unknown reasons.[citation needed]

Mahmoud later led the team in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. In the run-up, Palestine finished group play at the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup without conceding a goal after 2–0 wins over Nepal and Maldives alongside a 0–0 draw against Turkmenistan on the way to a semifinal exit at the hands of eventual champions North Korea. The third place play-off ended in a 4–3 loss against the Philippines. During the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification, Palestine drew into Group D with Bangladesh, Nepal and the Northern Mariana Islands. They started with a hard win against Bangladesh 1–0. The next game ended in a 9–0 rout over the Northern Mariana Islands. The qualifiers finished in a goalless draw against Nepal to earn a second straight AFC Challenge Cup berth.[citation needed]

2014–2019: Recent success

Palestine's starting line-up against the Philippines at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup Final

The team ended up winning the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup by drawing only one of the 5 matches without conceding a goal. In the opening match, Palestine won against Kyrgyzstan with a last-gasp goal by Abdelhamid Abuhabib.[27] In the next group game, they played against Myanmar and won 2–0.[28] The ended the first round with a 0–0 draw against hosts Maldives.[29] Palestine advanced as group winners to the semi-finals where they faced Afghanistan. The match ended in favor of the Palestinians with a 2–0 win.[30] At the final, Palestine clinched the win over the Philippines with a lone goal scored by Ashraf Nu'man through a free-kick.[31] The victory gave the Palestine team their first major trophy and guaranteed their participation in the next year's AFC Asian Cup. Following its 2014 AFC Challenge Cup win and qualification for the Asian Cup, Jamal Mahmoud resigned as national team manager citing differences with the Palestine Football Association.[32]

Palestine was placed in Group D along with Japan, Jordan and Iraq in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup having lost all three group matches. They started their campaign with a 0–4 defeat by Japan.[33] In the second game Palestine were beaten 1–5, with the opposing team ending the first half with a 3 goals lead. In the second half, Palestine scored their first ever Asian Cup goal by Jaka Ihbeisheh six minutes before the end. However, at this point they were eliminated.[34] The participation ended with a 0–2 defeat to Iraq.[35] After a disastrous performance in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, the PFA appointed Olympic team manager Abdel Nasser Barakat as national team manager, who then decided not to pick several veteran players as the team moved to overhaul.[citation needed]

Palestine registered two 6–0 wins over Malaysia during 2018 World Cup qualifying. Those results, combined with a 0–0 draw at home to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, placed Palestine close to qualification for the third round of Asian World Cup qualifiers. They were eliminated from the qualification following a 2–0 defeat to the UAE on 24 March 2016. They won their final FIFA World Cup qualification match at home 7–0 against Timor-Leste, five days later.[36]

Although eliminated from the World Cup, Palestine advanced to the third round of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Drawn with Oman, the Maldives and Bhutan, Palestine came second in the group with five wins and one defeat, and qualified to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup for the first time through regular qualification. Between February and March 2018, Palestine reached their best ever FIFA ranking of 73rd, thanks to an unprecedented 12-match unbeaten streak (between 29 March 2016 and 22 March 2018), winning eight and drawing four. In February 2018, Palestine achieved their best-ever FIFA ranking (73rd).[15]

On 19 December 2017, Julio César Baldivieso was hired after Abdel Nasser Barakat was released.[37] The hiring was widely criticized by Palestinian fans.[38] On 22 April 2018, the PFA appointed Noureddine Ould Ali as head coach to lead the team in the next period. Palestine was crowned champion of the 2018 Bangabandhu Cup as an invited country to the tournament. In the road to the final, they topped their group with 6 points, defeating Tajikistan 2–0 before winning against Nepal 1–0 with a Khaled Salem header.[39] In the semi-final Palestine knocked out Bangladesh 2–0 with the goals coming in each half. At the final, Palestine played Tajikistan for the second time. The match ended 0–0 in regular time, to be decided in a penalty shoot-out which Palestine won 4–3.[40]

Palestinian defender Abdullah Jaber (right) against Syria at the 2019 Asian Cup

Drawn with Australia, Syria and Jordan, Palestine started their 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign on 6 January 2019 with a 0–0 draw to Syria.[41] Five days later, Palestine faced title-holders Australia; a header by Jamie Maclaren and a goal by Awer Mabil sent Palestine trailing 2–0 at half-time. Australia sealed the win with a 90th-minute header from Apostolos Giannou. On 15 January 2019, Palestine headed into their last group-stage match needing all three points against Jordan, and hoping for a Syria win against Australia. In the 17th minute, Palestine came close to scoring when Amer Shafi produced a fingertip save to keep out Abdelatif Bahdari. In the second half, Oday Dabbagh failed to score from two headers, and the match ended in a 0–0 draw.[42]

2019–2023: Decline and managerial instability

Between July and August 2019, Palestine participated in the 2019 WAFF Championship; they were drawn with hosts Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Palestine ended the tournament with two wins, one draw and one defeat, and finished in second place in their group: however, this wasn't enough to reach the final.[43]

Palestine were drawn with Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Yemen at the 2022 World Cup qualification. They kicked-off with a historic win over Uzbekistan 2–0 in Al-Ram.[44] Five days later, Palestine were defeated 2–1 to Singapore.[45] On 15 October 2019, Palestine drew 0–0 with Saudi Arabia, during which its decades-long boycott of play in the West Bank came to an end in protest against Israel's control over Palestinian territories.[46] Thereafter, the team lost again to Yemen 1–0.[47] This was later followed with another away loss to Uzbekistan, thus placing Palestine in the bottom and reducing the country's opportunity to reach the final round.[citation needed]

Manager Noureddine Ould Ali lost his job after 2022 World Cup qualification resumed in 2021 following a 5–0 loss to Saudi Arabia. In April 2021, Tunisian coach Makram Daboub, who had previously worked as a goalkeeping coach under the leadership of Noureddine Ould Ali, who was dismissed, was assigned to supervise the national team on a temporary basis. Daboub led Palestine to victory over Singapore and Yemen.[citation needed] In June 2022, Palestine qualified for their third straight AFC Asian Cup finals, winning all three games against Mongolia, Yemen and Philippines.[citation needed]

In September 2023, Palestine spurn chances, and exit Asian Games following 1–0 loss to Hong Kong.[48]

2024–present: Revival and history made

On 23 January 2024, Palestine recorded their first ever Asian Cup victory and their first ever qualification to the Asian Cup knockout stage after a 3–0 victory over Hong Kong in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[49] They ended up losing 1–2 to the hosts Qatar in the quarterfinal despite taking the lead through Oday Dabbagh's goal in the 37th minute.[50][51]

On 7 June 2024, Palestine qualified to the Third Round of FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time after a 0–0 draw against Lebanon, securing second place in their qualification group behind Australia.[52] This result also saw them qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, their fourth consecutive qualification to the tournament.

Problems relating to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The Palestinian Football Association faces problems in training and playing due to the Israeli conflict with the Palestinians.

Because of travel restrictions placed by Israel upon people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the difficulty in obtaining an exit visa from Israel, many players in the team are drawn from the Palestinian diaspora, from as far away as Chile and the United States.[53] Recently, Israel's refusal to issue exit visas has resulted in players, or in some case the entire team, being unable to represent the territories. In November 2006 all players based inside the West Bank and Gaza Strip were denied exit visas. The AFC cancelled the match since both teams had been eliminated from the competition by virtue of their previous results against China and Iraq.[54]

In October 2007, the second leg of a crucial 2010 World Cup qualifier between Palestine and Singapore was not played due to Palestine's inability to obtain exit visas. The AFC and FIFA decided not to reschedule the match despite protests from the PFA, and Singapore was awarded a 3–0 win in a walkover match.[55] In May 2008, the team was not allowed to travel to the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. After a 2011 World Cup qualifier against Thailand, two starters, Mohammed Samara and Majed Abusidu, were refused entry to the West Bank and therefore could not travel back with the team from Thailand.[56]

Striker Ziyad Al-Kord was prevented from travelling and had his house destroyed.[57] Tariq al Quto was killed by the Israel Defense Forces,[58] and during Operation Cast Lead, three Palestinian footballers, Ayman Alkurd, Shadi Sbakh and Wajeh Moshtahe, were among the Palestinian casualties.[citation needed]

Mahmoud Sarsak was administratively detained by Israel in July 2009 for being a member of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine; following a hunger strike and international pressure on his behalf from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, he was released in July 2012.[59] In 2012, Olympic Team goalkeeper Omar Abu Ruways was arrested by Israel.[60]

Sameh Maraaba was arrested in April after returning with his team from training in Qatar. The Shin Bet accused Maraaba of exploiting his status as a Palestinian football player to act as a courier for Hamas.[61] Shin Bet released a statement in which it contended that Maraaba admitted that, before he left for Qatar, he met a senior Hamas operative in Kalkilya, asked him to meet an operative from Hamas' military wing in Qatar and received money, a cellphone and written messages which he brought back to Kalkilya.[61]

Palestinian facilities, such as the Palestine Stadium, have been damaged in military conflicts.[62]

In addition, there have been reports of Israeli forces intentionally shooting Palestinian footballers in the knees and feet,[63][64] including on one occasion ten bullets in the feet of 19 year old footballer Jawhar Nasser Jawhar.[65]

The team's former goalkeeper Omar Abu Rwayyis was arrested in connection with an attack on IDF soldiers in April 2012.[66]

In 2023, the team had to pull out of the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia due to the Israel–Hamas war in October. Later that year, all 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches had to be held in neutral venues for the same reasons, though Algeria offered to host and was accepted by the PFA until FIFA and the AFC rejected the deal stating that Palestine needed to play in AFC member venues, resulting in them going to Kuwait, Qatar, and other countries in the Islamic world.

Results and fixtures

See also: Palestine national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture   Withdrew

2023

16 November 2023 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Lebanon  0–0  Palestine Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
18:00 UTC+4 Report Stadium: Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium
Attendance: 200
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Note: Match played in the United Arab Emirates due to fears of spillover from the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.
21 November 2023 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Palestine  0–1  Australia Kuwait City, Kuwait[a]
17:00 UTC+3 Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
  • Souttar 18'
 Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 14,537
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
19 December 2023 Hybrid friendly Algeria U23  1–1  Palestine Annaba, Algeria
18:00 UTC+1
Stadium: 19 May 1956 Stadium
Referee: Houssam Benyahia (Algeria)

2024

7 January 2024 Friendly Palestine  0–1  Uzbekistan Doha, Qatar
17:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium
9 January 2024 Friendly Palestine  0–0  Saudi Arabia Doha, Qatar
18:30 UTC+3 Report
Report (SAFF)
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
Attendance: 0
14 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS Iran  4–1  Palestine Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Education City Stadium
Attendance: 27,691
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
18 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS Palestine  1–1  United Arab Emirates Al Wakrah, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
Attendance: 41,986
Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait)
23 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS Hong Kong  0–3  Palestine Doha, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Attendance: 6,568
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
29 January 2024 2023 AFC Asian Cup RO16 Qatar  2–1  Palestine Al Khor, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium
Attendance: 63,753
Referee: Ma Ning (China)
21 March 2024 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Palestine  5–0  Bangladesh Kuwait City, Kuwait[a]
21:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 37,432
Referee: Shen Yinhao (China)
26 March 2024 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Bangladesh  0–1  Palestine Dhaka, Bangladesh
15:30 UTC+6 Report
Stadium: Bashundhara Kings Arena
Attendance: 5,195
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
6 June 2024 (2024-06-06) 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Palestine  0–0  Lebanon Doha, Qatar[a]
19:00 UTC+3 Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
11 June 2024 (2024-06-11) 2026 World Cup qualification R2 Australia  5–0  Palestine Perth, Australia
20:10 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Perth Rectangular Stadium
Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)
31 August 2024 Hybrid friendly PDRM Malaysia 1–2  Palestine Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
--:-- UTC+6
Report
Stadium: MP Selayang Stadium
Attendance: 0
5 September 2024 (2024-09-05) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 South Korea  0–0  Palestine Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9 Report Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)
10 September 2024 (2024-09-10) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Palestine  1–3  Jordan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [b]
19:00 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Kuala Lumpur Stadium
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)
10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Iraq  1–0  Palestine Basra, Iraq
--:-- UTC+3
Report Stadium: Basra International Stadium
Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Palestine  2–2  Kuwait Doha, Qatar[b]
--:-- UTC+3
Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
14 November 2024 (2024-11-14) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Oman  1–0  Palestine Muscat, Oman
20:00 UTC+4
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex
Attendance: 21,754
Referee: Fu Ming (China)
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Palestine  1–1  South Korea Amman, Jordan[b]
17:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Amman International Stadium
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)

2025

20 March 2025 (2025-03-20) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Jordan  v  Palestine Amman, Jordan
--:--  Stadium: Amman International Stadium
25 March 2025 (2025-03-25) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Palestine  v  Iraq
--:-- 
5 June 2025 (2025-06-05) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Kuwait  v  Palestine Kuwait
--:-- 
10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) 2026 World Cup qualification R3 Palestine  v  Oman
--:-- 

Coaching staff

See also: List of Palestine national football team managers
Position Name
Head coach Tunisia Makram Daboub
Assistant coach State of Palestine Fahed Attal
Team manager State of Palestine Jaber Al-Fathy
Goalkeeping coach State of Palestine Ala'a Omar-Ud-Din
Physiotherapists State of Palestine Ahmed Al-Mutauween
State of Palestine Ayub Salih
Team doctors State of Palestine Bilal Hussein
State of Palestine Abdallah Al-Nader
Masseur State of Palestine Saeed Jaber
Team manager State of Palestine Hamdallah Al-Mansour
Technical director State of Palestine Abdalaziz Fathy
Head of delegation State of Palestine Abdalhamid Al-Ghannoush

Coaching history

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games against  Oman and  South Korea on 14 and 19 November 2024.[70]

Caps and goals as of 14 November 2024, after the match against  Kuwait.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Tawfiq Ali (1989-11-08) 8 November 1989 (age 35) 40 0 Unattached
16 1GK Baraa Kharoub (1998-03-20) 20 March 1998 (age 26) 1 0 State of Palestine Hilal Al-Quds
22 1GK Rami Hamadeh (1994-03-24) 24 March 1994 (age 30) 53 0 Unattached
2 2DF Mohammed Khalil (1998-04-05) 5 April 1998 (age 26) 17 0 Libya Al-Hilal Benghazi
4 2DF Yaser Hamed (1997-12-09) 9 December 1997 (age 26) 31 5 Unattached
5 2DF Mohammed Saleh (1993-07-18) 18 July 1993 (age 31) 35 0 Qatar Al-Rayyan
7 2DF Musab Al-Battat (captain) (1993-11-12) 12 November 1993 (age 31) 68 1 Jordan Al-Faisaly
12 2DF Wajdi Nabhan (2001-07-27) 27 July 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Jordan Al-Jazeera
15 2DF Michel Termanini (1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 26) 20 2 Unattached
17 2DF Mousa Farawi (1998-03-22) 22 March 1998 (age 26) 17 0 Egypt National Bank of Egypt
20 2DF Ameed Mahajna (1996-10-11) 11 October 1996 (age 28) 10 0 Qatar Al-Rayyan
2DF Camilo Saldaña (1999-07-13) 13 July 1999 (age 25) 14 0 Libya Al-Madina
3 3MF Mohammed Rashid (1995-01-29) 29 January 1995 (age 29) 49 2 Indonesia Persebaya Surabaya
6 3MF Oday Kharoub (1993-02-05) 5 February 1993 (age 31) 35 0 Malaysia Kelantan United
8 3MF Ataa Jaber (1994-10-03) 3 October 1994 (age 30) 11 0 Qatar Qatar SC
10 3MF Mahmoud Abu Warda (1995-05-31) 31 May 1995 (age 29) 40 3 Libya Al-Tahaddy
18 3MF Jonathan Cantillana (1992-05-26) 26 May 1992 (age 32) 33 10 Maldives Maziya
19 3MF Moustafa Zeidan (1998-06-07) 7 June 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Norway Rosenborg
23 3MF Mohammed Darweesh (1991-06-02) 2 June 1991 (age 33) 48 0 State of Palestine Hilal Al-Quds
3MF Ameed Sawafta (2000-07-10) 10 July 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Libya Al-Ittihad Tripoli
9 4FW Wessam Abou Ali (1999-01-04) 4 January 1999 (age 25) 6 2 Egypt Al-Ahly
11 4FW Oday Dabbagh (1998-12-03) 3 December 1998 (age 25) 42 16 Belgium Charleroi
13 4FW Omar Faraj (2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 22) 5 0 Egypt Zamalek
14 4FW Alaa Aldeen Hassan (2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 (age 24) 7 0 Qatar Al-Arabi
21 4FW Zaid Qunbar (2002-09-04) 4 September 2002 (age 22) 12 2 Libya Al-Ahly Benghazi
4FW Tamer Seyam (1992-11-25) 25 November 1992 (age 31) 65 13 Libya Al-Nasr Benghazi

Recent call-ups

The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past 12 months, but are not part of the current squad.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Mahdi Assi (2004-12-24) 24 December 2004 (age 19) 0 0 State of Palestine Al-Bireh v.  Kuwait; 15 October 2024 PRE
GK Amr Kaddoura (1994-07-01) 1 July 1994 (age 30) 3 0 Sweden Landskrona BoIS v.  Iraq; 10 October 2024 INJ
GK Naim Abuaker (1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 29) 1 0 State of Palestine Shabab Al-Dhahiriya 2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF Samer Jondi (1996-09-27) 27 September 1996 (age 28) 12 0 Libya Al-Nasr Benghazi v.  Iraq; 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Ali Rabei (2002-10-09) 9 October 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Libya Anwar Al-Abyar v.  Jordan; 10 September 2024
DF Mahdi Issa (1998-11-03) 3 November 1998 (age 26) 2 0 State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber v.  Bangladesh; 26 March 2024
DF Muath Barhoush (2002-11-25) 25 November 2002 (age 21) 0 0 State of Palestine Thaqafi Tulkarem 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
MF Samer Zubaida (2001-04-26) 26 April 2001 (age 23) 6 0 State of Palestine Hilal Al-Quds v.  Jordan; 10 September 2024
MF Hamza Hussein (2002-05-02) 2 May 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Lebanon Al-Ansar 2023 AFC Asian Cup INJ
MF Ahmad Al-Taweel (2001-02-10) 10 February 2001 (age 23) 0 0 State of Palestine Al-Bireh 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
MF Sadeq Obaid (2002-04-26) 26 April 2002 (age 22) 0 0 State of Palestine Hilal Al-Quds 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
FW Islam Batran (1994-10-01) 1 October 1994 (age 30) 33 6 Lebanon Sada v.  Australia; 11 June 2024
FW Mahmoud Eid (1993-06-26) 26 June 1993 (age 31) 25 1 Thailand Bangkok United v.  Bangladesh; 26 March 2024
FW Shehab Qunbar (1997-08-10) 10 August 1997 (age 27) 8 2 State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber v.  Bangladesh; 26 March 2024
FW Anas Baniowda (2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Jordan Al-Ahli Amman v.  Bangladesh; 26 March 2024
FW Mahmoud Wadi (1994-12-19) 19 December 1994 (age 29) 22 0 Libya Asswehly 2023 AFC Asian Cup
FW Mohammed Obaid (1998-09-30) 30 September 1998 (age 26) 1 0 State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber 2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad
SUS Currently serving a suspension

Player records

See also: Palestine national football team records and statistics
As of 26 March 2024[71]
Players in bold are still active with Palestine.

Most appearances

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Abdelatif Bahdari 82 9 2007–2021
2 Khader Yousef 71 2 2008–2016
3 Ramzi Saleh 68 0 2000–2015
4 Musab Al-Battat 65 1 2013–present
Tamer Seyam 65 13 2014–present
6 Abdallah Jaber 59 2 2014–2019
7 Ashraf Nu'man 57 15 2009–2016
8 Hussam Abu Saleh 56 3 2010–2015
9 Rami Hamadeh 52 0 2013–present
Saeb Jendeya 52 1 1999–2008

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Oday Dabbagh 17 38 0.45 2018–present
2 Ashraf Nu'man 15 57 0.26 2009–2016
3 Fahed Attal 14 41 0.34 2004–2012
4 Tamer Seyam 13 65 0.2 2014–present
5 Sameh Maraaba 12 43 0.28 2014–present
6 Ziyad Al-Kord 10 29 0.34 1997–2006
Jonathan Cantillana 10 30 0.33 2015–present
8 Abdelatif Bahdari 9 82 0.11 2007–2021
9 Ahmad Maher Wridat 8 29 0.28 2012–2018
10 Yashir Islame 7 20 0.35 2016–2019

Competitive record

See also: Palestine national football team results

As of 2 September 2021, the complete official match record of the Palestine national team comprises 229 matches: 66 wins, 57 draws and 106 losses.[72][73] During these matches, the team scored 291 times and conceded 357 goals. Palestine's highest winning margin is 11 goals, which has been achieved against Guam in 2006 (11–0). Their longest winning streak is 7 wins, and their unbeaten record is 12 consecutive official matches.

Overview
Event 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place
World Cup 0 0 0 0
Asian Cup 0 0 0 0
AFC Challenge Cup 1 0 0 1
WAFF Championship 0 0 0 0
Arab Cup 0 0 0 0
Arab Games 0 0 1 2
Asian Games 0 0 0 0

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to France 1998 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2nd 6 2 1 3 8 9
Germany 2006 3rd 6 2 1 3 11 11
South Africa 2010 1st round 2 0 0 2 0 7
Brazil 2014 2nd round 4 1 2 1 5 4
Russia 2018 3rd 8 4 2 2 24 5
Qatar 2022 3rd 8 3 1 4 10 10
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined TBD 10 2 5 4 8 11
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Best: N/A 0/6 0 0 0 0 0 0 — Total 42 14 10 18 65 55
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place Home venue

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Palestine at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 to United Arab Emirates 1996 Not a AFC member Not a AFC member
Lebanon 2000 Did not qualify 4th 4 1 0 3 3 8
China 2004 4th 6 0 2 4 3 11
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 4th 5 1 1 3 3 9
Qatar 2011 AFC Challenge Cup
Australia 2015 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 1 11 Squad
United Arab Emirates 2019 Group stage 18th 3 0 2 1 0 3 Squad 2nd 14 9 2 3 49 8
Qatar 2023 Round of 16 14th 4 1 1 2 6 7 Squad 1st 11 6 1 4 20 10
Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualified 2nd 6 2 2 2 6 6
Total Best: Round of 16 4/19 10 1 3 6 7 21 — Total 46 19 8 19 84 52
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place/semi-finalists   Home venue

AFC Challenge Cup

AFC Challenge Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006 Quarter-finals 5th of 16 4 2 1 1 16 2 Squad Qualified as invitees
India 2008 Withdrew Withdrew
Sri Lanka 2010 Did not qualify 3rd of 3 2 0 2 0 1 1
Nepal 2012 Fourth place 4th of 8 5 2 1 2 7 6 Squad 1st of 4 3 2 1 0 5 1
Maldives 2014 Champions 1st of 8 5 4 1 0 6 0 Squad 1st of 4 3 2 1 0 10 0
Total Best: champions 3/5 14 8 3 3 29 8 — Total 8 4 4 0 16 2
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place Home venue

WAFF Championship

Palestine's WAFF Championship record
Host nation(s)
and year 		Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Jordan 2000 Group stage 7th of 8 3 0 1 2 3 5 Squad
Syria 2002 Group stage 5th of 6 2 0 0 2 1 4 Squad
Iran 2004 Group stage 5th of 6 2 0 1 1 2 3 Squad
Jordan 2007 Group stage 5th of 6 2 0 0 2 0 3 Squad
Iran 2008 Group stage 6th of 6 2 0 0 2 0 4 Squad
Jordan 2010 Group stage 9th of 9 2 0 0 2 1 6 Squad
Kuwait 2012 Group stage 8th of 12 3 1 0 2 3 4 Squad
Qatar 2014 Group stage 7th of 9 2 0 1 1 0 1 Squad
Iraq 2019 Group stage 3rd of 9 4 2 1 1 6 5 Squad
United Arab Emirates 2023 Qualified as invitees
Total Best: group stage 10/10 22 3 4 15 16 35 —
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place/semi-finalists   Home venue

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Outcome Pld W D L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 and Kuwait 1964 Did not participate Did not participate
Iraq 1966 Group stage 5th of 9 3 1 1 1 8 3 No qualification
Saudi Arabia 1985 and Jordan 1988 Did not participate Did not participate
Syria 1992 Group stage 5th of 6 2 0 1 1 1 2 No qualification
Qatar 1998 Did not qualify 4th of 4 3 0 1 2 3 6
Kuwait 2002 Group stage 9th of 10 4 0 3 1 7 9 No qualification
Saudi Arabia 2012 Group stage 9th of 10 2 0 1 1 2 4 No qualification
Qatar 2021 Group stage 15th of 16 3 0 1 2 2 10 1st of 2 1 1 0 0 5 1
Total Best: Group stage 5/10 14 1 7 6 20 28 Total 4 1 1 2 8 7
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place Home venue

Arab Games

Palestine's Arab Games record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Egypt Alexandria 1953 Group stage 6th of 6 2 0 0 2 3 13 Squad
Lebanon Beirut 1957 Did not participate
Morocco Casablanca 1961
United Arab Republic Cairo 1965 Fourth place 4th of 10 6 2 1 3 7 9 Squad
Syria Damascus 1976 Final group 6th of 7 6 2 1 3 4 9 Squad
Morocco Rabat 1985 Did not participate
Syria Aleppo 1992 Group stage 5th of 6 2 0 1 1 1 2 Squad
Lebanon Beirut 1997 Did not participate
Jordan Amman 1999 Third place 3rd of 11 6 2 2 2 6 9 Squad
Egypt Cairo 2007 Did not participate
Qatar Doha 2011 Fourth place 4th of 12 5 1 1 3 5 11 Squad
Total Best: third place 6/11 27 7 6 14 26 55 —
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place Home venue

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad
India New Delhi 1951 Did not enter
Philippines Manila 1954
Japan Tokyo 1958
Indonesia Jakarta 1962
Thailand Bangkok 1966
Thailand Bangkok 1970
Iran Tehran 1974
Thailand Bangkok 1978
India New Delhi 1982
South Korea Seoul 1986
China Beijing 1990
Japan Hiroshima 1994 Withdrew
Thailand Bangkok 1998 Did not enter
2002 to present
 See Palestine national under-23 football team
Total Best: N/A 0/13 0 0 0 0 0 0 —
  Gold    Silver    Bronze Home venue

Other tournaments

Tournament Round Ref
Bangladesh 2018 Bangabandhu Cup Winners [74]
Bangladesh 2020 Bangabandhu Cup Winners [75]

Palestine Cup of Nations

Main article: Palestine Cup of Nations

Head-to-head record

The list shown below shows the Palestine national football team all-time international record against opposing nations.

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

As of 19 Nov 2024 after match against  South Korea

All friendly and international matches have been approved. A-level matches

Palestine national football team head-to-head records
Opponent From To Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
 Afghanistan 2011 2018 4 2 2 0 5 1 +4 050.00
 Algeria 1969 2005 3 0 0 3 0 7 −7 000.00
 Australia 2019 2023 3 0 0 3 0 9 −9 000.00
 Azerbaijan 2012 2012 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00
 Bahrain 2004 2023 8 4 1 3 8 7 +1 050.00
 Bangladesh 2006 2024 8 7 1 0 16 1 +15 087.50
 Bhutan 2017 2017 2 2 0 0 12 0 +12 100.00
 Burundi 2020 2020 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100.00
 Cambodia 1966 2006 2 1 0 1 4 4 +0 050.00
 Chile 2002 2002 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 000.00
 China 2006 2023 6 0 2 4 2 10 −8 000.00
 Chinese Taipei 2004 2014 3 3 0 0 16 3 +13 100.00
 Comoros 2021 2021 1 1 0 0 5 1 +4 100.00
 Egypt 1953 1973 3 0 0 3 4 23 −19 000.00
 Greece 1938 1938 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 000.00
 Guam 2006 2006 1 1 0 0 11 0 +11 100.00
 Hong Kong 2001 2024 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 066.67
 India 2013 2014 2 2 0 0 7 4 +3 100.00
 Indonesia 2011 2023 3 1 1 1 3 5 −2 033.33
 Iraq 1965 2024 18 0 4 14 7 39 −32 000.00
 Iran 2000 2024 6 0 2 4 3 18 −15 000.00
 Jordan 1976 2024 16 1 6 9 13 42 −29 006.25
 Japan 2015 2015 1 0 0 1 0 4 −4 000.00
 Kazakhstan 2000 2000 2 0 0 2 2 5 −3 000.00
 Kuwait 2002 2024 10 1 2 7 9 22 −13 010.00
 Kyrgyzstan 2006 2021 7 1 3 3 6 8 −2 014.29
 Lebanon 1940 2024 9 3 5 1 9 5 +4 033.33
 Libya 1953 2011 7 0 5 2 7 12 −5 000.00
 Malaysia 2001 2015 5 4 0 1 18 4 +14 080.00
 Maldives 2012 2017 4 3 1 0 13 1 +12 075.00
 Myanmar 2011 2014 3 2 0 1 6 5 +1 066.67
 Morocco 1976 2021 3 0 0 3 1 10 −9 000.00
 Mauritania 1976 2010 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 050.00
   Nepal 2009 2018 4 2 2 0 3 0 +3 050.00
 North Korea 1966 2012 2 0 0 2 1 7 −6 000.00
 South Korea 2024 2024 2 0 2 0 1 1 +0 000.00
 Northern Mariana Islands 2013 2013 1 1 0 0 9 0 +9 100.00
 Oman 2012 2024| style="text-align:center" |5 1 0 4 4 7 −3 020.00
 Pakistan 2000 2018 5 5 0 0 11 1 +10 100.00
 Philippines 2011 2022 4 2 1 1 8 4 +4 050.00
 Qatar 1972 2018 12 1 2 9 12 19 −7 008.33
 Saudi Arabia 1976 2021 11 0 4 7 6 22 −16 000.00
 Seychelles 2020 2020 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.00
 Singapore 2003 2021 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 033.33
 Sri Lanka 2020 2020 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00
 Sudan 1965 2010 8 0 4 4 8 14 −6 000.00
 Syria 1966 2019 15 2 5 8 13 25 −12 013.33
 Tajikistan 2016 2018 4 1 3 0 6 4 +2 025.00
 Tanzania 2011 2011 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 000.00
 Thailand 2011 2011 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 000.00
 East Timor 2015 2016 2 2 0 0 10 0 +10 100.00
 Tunisia 1969 1973 2 0 1 1 3 7 −4 000.00
 Turkmenistan 2012 2012 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 000.00
 United Arab Emirates 1999 2024 6 1 3 2 3 7 −4 016.67
 Uzbekistan 2004 2023 6 1 0 5 2 10 −8 016.67
 Vietnam[c] 1966 2023 3 1 0 2 3 7 −4 033.33
 Yemen 2010 2022 7 5 0 2 13 5 +8 071.43
Total 1940 2024 256 73 65 118 323 403 −80 028.52

Last updated: Palestine vs Kuwait, 15 October 2024. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.[76]

Honours

Continental

Regional

Friendly

Summary

Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
AFC Challenge Cup 1 0 0 1
Arab Games 0 0 1 1
Total 1 0 1 2

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Palestine play all their home matches at a neutral venue until further notice, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.[67][68]
  2. ^ a b c Palestine play all their home matches at a neutral venue until further notice, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.[69] Cite error: The named reference "Palestine" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ All the matches against Vietnam include North Vietnam's and South Vietnam's record before 1975

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