PERTH, Australia – Mohammed Rashid once worked as a forklift driver at a warehouse in Chicago.
Fast forward to these dark times, Rashid, along with his Palestinian football teammates, carry a greater weight, knowing that success on the field offers a small respite from the war ravaging Gaza.
Amid the horrific backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, now in its eighth month, an inspired Palestine produced a thrilling run to reach Asia’s third round of World Cup qualifying for the first time.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Rashid said in Perth on Monday, the day before the Palestine-Australia game. “We are here for a cause and a goal.
“Whoever is on the team has to perform. There is no other way to do it.”
Palestine, 93rd in the world rankings, was never close to reaching the World Cup through the Asian Football Confederation qualifiers. With the 2026 tournament expanding to 48 teams and Asia’s automatic qualification award doubling to eight, Palestine has a legitimate opportunity to make history.
Palestine and Australia meet at HBF Park on Tuesday to complete the second Asian round. Both teams are safe for the next phase, in September.
“Of course (the World Cup) is a big dream,” Rashid said. “Anything is possible. There is a lot of hard work that needs to be done before we get there.”
Palestine team officials discourage politically charged questions at press conferences. But stakeholders are willing to participate publicly in conversations about the devastation in Gaza. More than 36,700 Palestinians were killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its counts. Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, most of them civilians, and took about 250 people hostage.
“It (playing) gives the chance to take the name of Palestine to the whole world, and the World Cup is the biggest platform for that,” said Rashid, a defensive midfielder. “What is happening now is affecting us all. You can’t help but be affected by it.”
Rashid was on a college football scholarship at Illinois from 2013 to 2017 before signing with the Palestinian Premier League a year later.
Although most members of the United Nations do not recognize Palestine as a country, including the US and Australia, the Palestinian Football Association became a full member of FIFA in 1998.
The team affectionately known as Al Fida’i (The Warriors) had only moderate success at the regional level until recently. Preaching a disciplined style of play, mirroring the determination of its players, Palestine conceded just one goal in five games in this qualifying cycle.
It was a remarkable effort given that Palestine have not played at home since 2019, having been forced to host games in Kuwait and Qatar. Players had to flee in search of safety and look for leagues abroad.
“This is the hardest part (not playing at home),” said Rashid, who plays football for Bali United in Indonesia. “The last time we played Saudi Arabia at home, the house was full. People climbed trees to watch the game.
“We had 28 games (in a row) away from home, which is difficult. But we are always playing for our people.”
Although players try to avoid making inflammatory comments, the mere existence of the team is seen as a political statement with controversy inevitably not far behind. PFA president Jibril Rajoub was denied a visa to Australia. Rajoub is also a politician and president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
“These decisions are made remotely by the agencies, by the immigration department,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Rashid and his companions hope to put this setback aside and continue to give a rallying cry to the Palestinians.
“When it comes to (football), you try to get your mind off it (the controversy),” he said. “This (the Palestine games) is the only thing they (the Palestinians) are watching. The only thing that gives them hope.
“For us, this is a great motivation.”
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