After advancing further than ever in World Cup qualifying, the Palestinian soccer team is determined to host a game for a change.
The football association has proposed playing games in the third stage of its Asian qualification campaign in the West Bank and already has support from a number of its opponents, starting against Jordan on Sept. 10.
The Palestinian team progressed through the second round of continental qualifying for the first time in its history in June but, because of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, staged its ‘home’ games in nearby Kuwait and Qatar.
“Playing at a neutral venue isn’t permanent and was never meant to be so,” Susan Shabali, the PFA’s deputy president, told The Associated Press. “Faisal Al-Husseini is ready to host.”
The 12,500 capacity Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium is situated in the West Bank town of Al Ram. In 2019, it hosted the team’s last competitive home game, a World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia that ended 0-0.
“We hope that all goes well,” Shalabi said, adding that there’d been “no objections” from FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, or the Asian Football Confederation.
Israel launched a major offensive in Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 Hamas attack into southern Israel in which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 people were abducted.
The Israeli offensive has killed more than 38,000, according to health officials in Gaza, who don’t say how many were civilians or militants. The war has caused vast destruction across the territory, displaced most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million — often multiple times — caused widespread hunger and raised fears of famine.
The Palestinian team’s success has been remarkable amid the ongoing war and the fact it has played dozens of games on the road since 2019, and the players have had to move for safety and seek overseas contracts.
While there is little soccer currently being played in the territory, most players in the Palestinian roster belong to clubs in foreign leagues. The most recent roster saw coach Makram Daboub select players based in countries including Sweden, Belgium, Libya, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.
Mohammed Rashid, who plays club soccer for Bali United in Indonesia, told reporters in Perth last month ahead of the second-round finale against Australia that the hardest part of competing in international competition was not being able to play at home.
On June 27, the Palestinian team, currently ranked No. 95 in the world, was drawn in Group B of the third round which contains South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Kuwait.
The top two from each of the three groups of six qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup.
After the opening game in South Korea on Sept. 5, the Palestinians return to West Asia to take on Jordan five days later.
The Jordan Football Association issued a statement this week to “affirm its position in support of the Palestinian Football Association’s right to hold its home matches on its land and among its fans.”
“Jordan is proud to be the first team to face our Palestinian brothers in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Palestinian territory,” the statement said.
The Oman Football Association also said it supported the PFA’s “legitimate right to hold official national team matches in front of its fans on home soil.” Kuwait earlier issued its support.

HOUSTON: Emiliano Martinez saved Argentina’s bid for a second straight Copa America title after the Albiceleste conceded a tying goal to Ecuador in second-half injury time.

Martinez stopped shootout attempts by Angel Mena and Alan Minda, and Argentina advanced to the Copa America semifinals with a 4-2 victory on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw Thursday night.

“I wasn’t ready to go home,” Martinez said. “This team deserved to advance. They complicated us a lot. They played a great match, very physical. We knew they were one of the top rivals in Copa America.”

Lionel Messi, returning from a leg injury that caused him to miss Argentina’s group-stage finale, put the first Albiceleste penalty kick off the crossbar, but the Albiceleste recovered and Nicolas Otamendi beat Alexander Domínguez with the winning kick.

“Our goalkeeper came up clutch,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter.

Seeking their third straight major title, Argentina advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight Copa America and will play Venezuela or Canada on Tuesday at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina is looking to win a record 16th Copa America championship.

Playing in front of a pro-Argentinian crowd of 69,456 at NRG Stadium, Lisandro Martinez gave the Albiceleste a 35th-minute lead following Messi’s corner kick.

Ecuador’s Enner Valencia put a penalty kick off a post in the 62nd minute after a hand ball by Rodrigo De Paul, but Kevin Rodríguez tied it in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.

With Argentina going first in the shootout, Messi tried a Panenka and hit the crossbar.

Martínez, the goalkeeper in Argentina’s shootout win over France in the 2022 World Cup final, stopped Mena by diving to his left and batting the ball with his trailing hand. He denied Minda by leaping right, then followed the save with a short dance.

Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister converted to put Argentina ahead 2-0, and John Yeboah made Ecuador’s third attempt.

Gonzalo Montiel gave Argentina a 3-1 lead, Jordy Caicedo converted to keep Ecuador alive and Otamendi got the winner, tucking the ball inside the post just past the outstretched arm of Dominguez.

Despite the victory, Scaloni said he “did not enjoy the win.”

“We have reached the semis, and given the great level of performance of every national team, I think it’s a great achievement,” he said.

Lisandro Martinez had put Argentina ahead in the 35th minute with a header after Mac Allister headed on Messi’s corner kick. Rodríguez scored when he headed in John Yeboah’s cross.

“The quarterfinals had us playing against the most difficult opponent, and I thought we delivered well,” Ecuador coach Félix Sanchez Bas said through an interpreter. “We showed this team can compete against any opponent.”

Under Copa America regulations, the match went straight from the end of regulation to a shootout, without extra time.

Messi, who sustained the injury on June 25 against Chile, got a loud ovation when he entered the field 45 minutes before kickoff. He remained without a goal in three Copa games this year.

“I think he finished the match well,” Scaloni said. “We asked him how he was feeling for the last time four minutes before the end.”