Remembering Palestinian football legend Mohammed Barakat

Sports fans around the world are bidding a tearful goodbye to the "legend of Khan Younis," footballer Mohammed Barakat this week. The athlete was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home on the first day of Ramadan.

The 39-year-old was affectionately referred to by fellow players as "the lion" for his performances on the pitch. He is one of more than 31,000 Palestinians who have been killed by Israel since it launched its war on Gaza in October..

In a statement about Barakat's death, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) lambasted a decades-long Israeli “injustice and occupation” that has left more than a hundred other athletes dead.

It described Barakat as "among the tens of thousands of Palestinian martyrs" who they said joined the "157 stars of the martyrs of the Palestinian sports movement."

The PFA also paid tribute to Barakat's contribution, which left an indelible mark on Palestine's footballing heritage.

This included his performances with the men's national football team, international beach soccer success, spells with clubs in Gaza, and overseas experiences.

Barakat was known as a nifty and rapid player with a kind spirit off the pitch, and his killing has been describedas a "great loss for Palestinian football."

FIFA's double standards

Football fans have been paying homage to Barakat and discussing the untimely injustice of his death.

Football Palestine, a social media account dedicated to covering all aspects of Palestinian soccer, shared a video with the sound of Israeli air strikes in the background before his death.

The account also criticised the world's football authorities for not calling out the "murder" of innocent footballl players in Gaza.

"@FIFAcom and @FIFPRO have said nothing about his murder or that of 92 other footballers and administrators during this war," it said.

The sentiments were echoed by sports writer Leyla Hamed, who said, "Israel continues assassinating the beautiful game. @FIFAcom, your silence is deafening."

Others called for Israel to be banned and sanctioned from competitive football amid the continued onslaught against Palestinians.

Turkish Scholar Ibrahim Karatas also touched on the double standards.

"Are @FIFAcom and @UEFAcom deaf or blind? Didn't they ban Russian and Belarussian teams from tournaments?" he wrote on X.

Tributes came from as far as Chile, home to around 500,000 descendants of Palestinian refugees and migrants in a country of roughly 19 million people - with the official account of Chile's Palestinian community calling the player a "legend".

Chilean Football 'Club Deportivo Palestino', a side based in the capital Santiago honouring the Palestinian community’s heritage also paid tribute to Barakat.

Playing career

Barakat's burgeoning career began in 2015 with the Palestinian team "Shabab Khanyounis."

Later, he forged legendary status at the Khan Younis Youth Club. He eventually became the first Palestinian footballer in Gaza to score 100 goals while on a single team.

His path in football would take him to clubs in different parts of Palestine, with spells at Al-Sadaqa and Al-Ahli Gaza.

While he only played three caps with the men's national football team, Barakat quickly established himself with the men's beach football team. In 2012, he won a bronze medal at the Asian Beach Games alongside his team-mates, finding the net four times.

"At 39 years old, he was still playing and bagging goals. His last one was for Ahli Gaza in a 1-1 draw this past August," wrote the Football Palestine account.

He also enjoyed spells at Saudi Arabian football club Al-Shoulla, which plays the city of Al Kharj, scoring on his debut in 2015.

Additionally, he played some friendly matches with the Jordanian domestic side Al-Wehdat Sports Club, based in and representing the Amman New Camp - a Palestinian refugee camp known by the same name.

Israel's aggression against footballers

Other Palestinians have also been targeted by Israel's continued aggression.

In the previous month, the PFA announced the deaths of local footballers Osama Abu Nahar, Ahmed Tariq Faraj, and Nabil Atta Amer, which reportedly came after Israeli forces raided Tulkarm Youth Center in the West Bank's Tulkarm camp.

Beyond the brutal Israeli onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza, Israeli policies have deeply hampered the growth of Palestinian football due to the curbing of freedom of movement for players, coaches, officials, and equipment getting in and out of the territories.