Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has responded to a UEFA social media post, questioning the lack of detail surrounding the death of former Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pelé.”
Earlier in the week, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) confirmed Al-Obeid had been killed. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), they claimed he died in an Israeli airstrike while waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza.
Al-Obeid, who represented the Palestinian national team between 2007 and 2013, earned 19 caps and scored two goals. He was also a prolific scorer in domestic football, winning the Gaza League’s golden boot three consecutive times between 2015 and 2018 while playing for clubs like Gaza Sport and Khadamat Al-Shatea. Known by various nicknames—including the “Gazelle,” “Black Pearl,” and “Henry of Palestine”—he was widely admired for his talent and impact on the sport in Palestine.
On Saturday, UEFA paid tribute to Al-Obeid with a post on X, calling him “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.” Salah responded by quote-tweeting the message and asking: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
This is not the first time Salah has spoken out on the crisis in Gaza. In 2023, he made a public plea on social media, condemning the violence and calling for an end to the “massacres,” urging the protection of innocent lives and families caught in the conflict.
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