For a child in Gaza, falling in love with football requires little more than a worn-out ball and a wall to kick it against. That is enough to fuel dreams of one day playing in a World Cup, watched on a cracked phone screen. Yet for many children, that dream has ended not because they chose another path, but because they were killed before they had the chance to grow up.
FIFA's Selective Outrage
FIFA organizes the world's biggest sporting event, bringing billions together every four years. Yet it has struggled to speak out about children who loved the game losing their lives. The organization has taken firm positions on some issues, even banning countries within days, but remains silent when hundreds of young players are killed in Gaza.
These were not just statistics; they were children with talent and ambition, practicing on broken streets because that was all they had. Today, many have become little more than numbers in reports that few people read.
What Remains of Gaza's Football?
Gaza once had football grounds, young players, and communities united by the game. Now, the infrastructure is destroyed, and the human cost is staggering. According to reports, over 200 young athletes have been killed in the conflict, including many aspiring footballers.
If football truly claims to be the world's game, should that not include the children of Gaza? Or does their suffering matter only when the cameras are watching?
A Call for Accountability
The silence from FIFA is deafening. As the governing body of world football, it has a moral responsibility to advocate for the safety and rights of all players, regardless of their nationality or the political situation in their region. By failing to speak out, FIFA risks being seen as complicit in the erasure of these young lives.
As Yumna Zahid Ali from Karachi writes, "A child in Gaza does not need much to fall in love with football — just a worn-out ball and a wall to kick it against." That dream should not be cut short by war, and the world's football community should not look away.
