PERTH, Australia: Mohammed Rashid once worked as a forklift driver in a Chicago warehouse.
Fast forward to these grim times and Rashid, along with his Palestinian soccer teammates, carry a heavier weight knowing success on the field offers a little respite from the war raging in Gaza.
Amid the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, now in its eighth month, an inspired Palestinian squad have produced a stirring run to reach the third round in Asia of World Cup qualifying for the first time.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Rashid said in Perth on Monday, on the eve of his team’s last second-round game against Australia. “We’re here for one cause and one goal.
“Whoever is on the team has to perform. There is no other way to it.”
The Palestinian team, 93rd in the world rankings, have never come close to reaching the World Cup via the Asian Football Confederation’s qualifying route. With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams, and Asia’s automatic qualification allocation doubling to eight, there’s a better chance to make history.
The Palestinians play Australia at HBF Park on Tuesday to complete the Asian second round. Both teams are safely through to September’s next stage.
“Of course, it’s (World Cup) a big dream,” Rashid said. “Everything is possible. There’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done before we get there.”
Team officials discourage politically charged questions at news conferences. But the players are willing to publicly engage in conversations about the devastation in Gaza. More than 36,700 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its counts. The war was sparked after Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, mostly civilians, and took around 250 people hostage.
Playing “gives the chance to raise the name of Palestine to the whole world, and the World Cup is the biggest platform for this,” said Rashid, a defensive midfielder. “What’s happening right now is affecting all of us. You can’t help but be affected by it.”
Rashid was on a college soccer scholarship in Illinois from 2013-17 before signing with the Palestinian Premier League one year later.
More than 140 of the United Nations’ 193 members have recognized Palestinian statehood, and the Palestine 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 continental level until recently. With a disciplined style of play, mirroring the resolve of the players, the Palestinian team have conceded only one goal in five matches in this qualifying cycle.
It’s been a remarkable effort given the team haven’t played on home soil since 2019, having been forced to host matches in Kuwait and Qatar. Players have had to flee for safety and seek overseas leagues.
Rashid, who plays club soccer for Bali United in Indonesia,” said for his team the hardest part of competing in international competition was not being able to play at home.
“The last time we played Saudi Arabia at home, it was a full house. People were climbing trees to watch the game,” he said. “We’ve had 28 games away, which is rough. But we’re always playing for our people.”
The team’s mere existence is seen by some as a political statement. The Palestinian football association president, Jibril Rajoub, was denied an entry visa for Australia. Rajoub is also a politician and heads the Palestinian Olympic committee.
The visa issue surfaced on the weekend when the team arrived in Perth. By Monday, Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was questioned about it in Canberra, the capital.
“These decisions are made at arm’s length by the bodies, by the immigration department,” Albanese said.
Rashid and his teammates are hoping to put that setback aside and continue to offer inspiration for Palestinians.
“When it comes to (soccer), you try to get your head out of it,” he said. The soccer team’s international matches “is the only thing they (Palestinians) are watching. The only thing giving them hope.
“For us this is a big motivation.”
Palestinian players continue push for World Cup qualification amid war back home
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Palestinian players continue push for World Cup qualification amid war back home
- The Palestinian team, 93rd in the world rankings, have never come close to reaching the World Cup via the Asian Football Confederation’s qualifying route
- With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams, and Asia’s automatic qualification allocation doubling to eight, there’s a better chance to make history
6 things to watch in Match 6 of AFC Champions League Elite
- Ivan Toney looks to get off the mark, Al-Hilal face Al-Sadd again, and Al-Nassr aim to stay perfect under Pioli
RIYADH: International duties give way to club commitments as Asia’s best return to their home sides, with another defining week of AFC Champions League action — across both the ACL Elite and ACL Two competitions — on the horizon.
Players from Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be out to make a statement after a disappointing window, while those from the UAE will be buoyed by their improved fortunes on the road to North America for 2026.
As the players disperse across the vast continent, here are the six things to look out for this week.
Al-Sadd and Al-Hilal in a rematch of their epic semifinal
Five years on, people still talk about the remarkable 2019 semifinal between Al-Sadd and Al-Hilal.
Spearheaded by the recently retired Bafetimbi Gomis, Al-Hilal traveled to Doha and put four past Xavi’s Al-Sadd outfit in a dominant 4-1 win, with most observers believing the tie was all but settled as they returned to Riyadh for the second leg.
And after opening the scoring inside 15 minutes to take a commanding 5-1 aggregate lead, the tie looked done. And perhaps Al-Hilal thought so, too, because they conceded three times in three remarkable minutes to turn the game on its head.
What followed was the best of continental football in Asia, with Al-Hilal eventually surviving, despite a late scare and a last-minute free-kick that had everyone holding their breath.
The stakes are not quite as high this time around, but with the sides even stronger than they were back in 2019, even a match half as good would be something special.
Last chance for the defending champions
Just six months ago Al-Ain were the toast of the continent, lifting their second continental title with a dominant display over Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos, thanks largely to the scintillating performances of Moroccan international Soufiane Rahimi.
What a difference a few months can make. Halfway through the League Stage of the recently reformatted tournament, the defending champions are yet to taste victory, and are rooted to the bottom of the 12-team West Zone with just a solitary point to their name.
With only four games remaining, and 12 points left on the table, it is pretty much now or never for Al-Ain. They need to take something from the visit of Al-Ahli to kickstart their campaign.
With ACL-winning coach Hernan Crespo recently relieved of his duties, replaced by serial title winner Leonardo Jardim, who won the ACL with Al-Hilal in 2021, perhaps a new voice and a new message might deliver the turnaround in form needed to keep their title defense alive.
Can Ivan Toney get off the mark in Asia?
Much was expected of English international Ivan Toney after his big-money move to Al-Ahli from Brentford — a switch Matthias Jaissle and the Al-Ahli faithful hoped would turn them into title contenders this season.
But two months in and Toney has failed to fire in Jeddah, at least when it comes to playing in Asia. His return of three goals from eight matches in the league is passable, although they need more if they are to start moving up from their current mid-table position.
While his lack of goals in the AFC Champions League Elite is not affecting them on the pitch so far, with four wins from as many games, including a 5-1 rout of Al-Shorta last time out, Toney will be keen to get off the mark on the continent to keep their good run going.
Against an Al-Ain side that has conceded 15 in just four games, the most of any of the 24 teams in either the West or East zones, this might be just the time to do it.
Al-Nassr look to remain perfect under Pioli
Changing a coach so early into a season is never a good sign, but is done to provide a circuit-breaker to turn around a side’s fortunes.
That was the case for Al-Nassr, whose start to the season included a loss to Al-Hilal in the final of the Super Cup, dropped points against Al Raed and Al Ahli in the league, and only managing a point against Iraqi side Al-Shorta in their opening game of the AFC Champions League Elite.
That saw Luis Castro replaced by Serie A-winning coach Stefano Pioli. It was a brave call, but one that has been justified. A shock loss in the King’s Cup aside, Al-Nassr are yet to taste defeat in either the league or AFC Champions League, going three for three on the continent since his arrival.
After thumping defending champions Al-Ain 5-1 in their most recent outing, they will be looking to maintain their perfect record on the continent under Pioli when they travel to the glorious Al-Bayt Stadium, which two years ago hosted the FIFA World Cup, to take on Al-Gharafa.
UAE champions try to keep pace
It has been a weird old season for defending UAE Pro League champions Al-Wasl.
On one hand, they are undefeated in their last five in all competitions. On the other, they have failed to win in the league since September, and are dangerously close to falling off the pace so early into their title defense.
Their form on the continent has matched their topsy-turvy season overall. They have gone win, loss, win, draw in their first four games, and face a tricky trip to Iraq to face a desperate Al-Shorta in midweek.
Star man Fabio Lima should be absolutely primed after his four-goal haul for the national team in their 5-0 rout of Qatar in World Cup qualifying last week. Can he maintain that form and help Al-Wasl take another step toward the knockout rounds?
Can Korean champions survive the cut?
The other major storyline of Matchday Six comes from the East Zone, where back-to-back Korean champions and two-time ACL winners Ulsan HD are currently the worst-performing team in the competition, with four losses from as many games.
Not only that, they are yet to score a single goal. It is a staggeringly poor return for a club with the pedigree and resources of Ulsan, who have made it out of the group in all but one of their last six campaigns and won the title in 2020.
They face off this week with Chinese champions Shanghai Port, needing to win at least three of their final four to give themselves a chance of progressing. Can they do it?
Retegui fires Atalanta to top of Serie A ahead of Inter Milan
- Retegui claimed his 12th league goal of the campaign after just four minutes for the visitors before Ederson and Ademola Lookman scored to send Atalanta above Inter
- Juventus failed to impress in a goalless stalemate with AC Milan
VERONA, Italy: Serie A’s leading scorer Mateo Retegui netted as Atalanta beat Parma 3-1 on Saturday to go top of Serie A on goal difference, overtaking Inter Milan despite the reigning champions’ rout of Verona.
Retegui claimed his 12th league goal of the campaign after just four minutes for the visitors before Ederson and Ademola Lookman scored to send Atalanta above Inter, who hammered Verona 5-0 earlier.
Napoli drop to third before they host Roma on Sunday on Claudio Ranieri’s return to top-flight management.
Juventus, meanwhile, failed to impress in a goalless stalemate with AC Milan and are sixth, one place above their opponents.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his team were developing a winning mentality.
“We have to focus on winning every game we can and the rest is not really in our minds,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“That was the case in the Europa League too, we didn’t start out thinking we’d win it, but as time wore on and we found ourselves in that position, we weren’t going to hold back either.”
Argentina-born Italy striker Retegui, 25, opened the scoring early on with a deft header.
The reigning Europa League champions doubled their lead after 39 minutes as Brazil midfielder Ederson scored his second goal of the season.
But five minutes into the second half, the hosts cut the deficit as Matteo Cancellieri fired home.
Retegui was replaced by attacking midfielder Charles De Ketelaere as Gasperini rested the attacker before Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Swiss side Young Boys.
Parma’s hopes of denying Atalanta a seventh straight league win were dashed with a quarter of an hour to play as Nigerian international Lookman finally scored, netting for a seventh time this campaign to ensure his side take top spot in the table.
Earlier, Marcus Thuram scored twice in Inter’s easy win over Verona as Joaquin Correa, Stefan de Vrij and Yann Bisseck were also on the scoresheet.
Correa’s opener in the 17th minute, a delightful dink after smart interplay with Thuram, didn’t just spark a rout, it was also the Argentine’s first Serie A goal in more than two years.
Out-of-favor Correa had only played 38 minutes this season before this weekend but was excellent in place of captain and star striker Lautaro Martinez who was sent home early on Saturday with the flu.
“I know him well, he’s been training brilliantly since July, he’s got a lot of competition,” Simone Inzaghi told DAZN.
“I’m pleased for him but I’m also pleased for the boys because they played really well,” he added.
Verona have lost nine of their 13 league matches this season and sit 14th, just three points above the relegation zone.
Inter now host Leipzig on Tuesday as they push for direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, having thumped Verona with a clutch of starters either injured or rested.
As well as Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco and Benjamin Pavard missed Saturday’s match after a busy period on international duty.
Juventus trail Inter and Atalanta by three points after offering little to shout about against AC Milan at the San Siro.
Ravaged by injuries, including to starting center forward Dusan Vlahovic, coach Thiago Motta was forced into an experimental line-up featuring midfielder Teun Koopmeiners up front.
“I’m pleased with our performance, especially defensively against a team which created very little,” Motta told DAZN.
“All in all we played well, I think a point right now keeps us going. I’m happy to see that we’re well-organized and are capable of playing like a big team should.”
10-man Barcelona concede two late goals in draw at Celta Vigo
- Celta poured forward at Balaidos Stadium and Hugo Alvarez rifled in the 86th-minute equalizer with Barcelona unable to mark the extra man
- Antoine Griezmann converted a late penalty to equalize and Alexander Sorloth struck an 86th-minute winner to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win at home over Alaves
BARCELONA: Celta Vigo gave 10-man Barcelona a shock by scoring two late goals and snatching a 2-2 draw at home in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Barcelona were minutes away from a win to pad their league lead after Raphinha and Lewandowski had put Barcelona ahead.
But the game dramatically swung after Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casado was sent off with a second booking in the 81st. Moments later Jules Kounde’s poor control of a ball in his area allowed Alfon Gonzalez to pick his pocket and give the hosts hope in the 84th minute.
Celta poured forward at Balaidos Stadium and Hugo Alvarez rifled in the 86th-minute equalizer with Barcelona unable to mark the extra man.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, however, said that he saw it coming since his team had never been able to establish their passing game and was making mistakes even when up 2-0.
“It was not only the 10 last minutes, it was the whole match. We played today a really bad game,” Flick said. “The passing game for us was bad. We made a lot of mistakes and at the end we had no confidence with the ball.”
This was Barcelona’s second straight stumble since Lamine Yamal was sidelined with a right-ankle injury. Barcelona lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad without Yamal before the international break.
Barcelona is seven points ahead of third-place Real Madrid, which has played two fewer games.
Koundé accepted the blame for what he called his “gross mistake” that helped give Celta hope.
“We didn’t do what we needed to all game, and at the end they made us pay,” Koundé said. “It starts with me. I can’t lose my focus like that. It was a gross mistake that can’t happen. I accept that it was my fault.”
The late rally by Celta came after Raphinha had led Barcelona as he filled in for Yamal on the right side of the front three.
Raphinha opened the scoring in the 15th when he ran onto a long pass by Kounde that bounced over left back Óscar Mingueza, cut back to his left foot and fired home.
Lewandowski doubled the lead in the 61st after Raphinha intercepted a pass by Minqueza and set up his strike partner. The Poland striker scrambled the ball past two defenders before slotting beyond Vicente Guaita.
Lewandowski took his league-leading tally to 15 goals in 14 rounds, while Raphinha has added eight league goals.
Raphinha came close to a second goal that would have made it 3-0 when he hit the post in the 77th, just moments before the wild final stretch when it all crumbled for the visitors.
“We have to learn from this. This can’t happen just because we had a player sent off. But onto the next game,” said Gavi Paez, who started his first match since returning from a serious leg injury last season.
Atletico move into second place
Antoine Griezmann converted a late penalty to equalize and Alexander Sorloth struck an 86th-minute winner to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win at home over Alaves.
The comeback victory lifted Atletico into second place — five points behind Barcelona.
Coach Diego Simeone showed his sensitive side after the match when he choked up when speaking about this love for the team he has coached for nearly 13 years.
Valencia honor flood victims
Valencia played their first home game since last month’s devastating floods that killed over 200 people in eastern Spain.
The club honored the victims before kickoff when several fans were seen to cry during the ceremony.
Hugo Duro led the 4-2 win over Real Betis by scoring a double.
Elsewhere, Girona routed Espanyol 4-1 in a Catalan regional derby with Bojan Miovski’s first two goals since joining the club.
Mallorca forward Johan Mojica scored off a set piece from a free kick inside Las Palmas’ area to complete a 3-2 win for the visitors in injury time.
Spurs thrash Man City 4-0 to end 52-match unbeaten home run
- James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout
- City’s first defeat on home soil from open play since the eve of the 2022 World Cup leaves them still five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool
MANCHESTER: Manchester City crashed to a stunning fifth consecutive defeat as Tottenham won 4-0 at the Etihad to end the English champions’ 52-game unbeaten home run on Saturday.
James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout.
City’s first defeat on home soil from open play since the eve of the 2022 World Cup leaves them still five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who play their game in hand at bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Sunday.
A great day for Tottenham eases the pressure on Ange Postecoglou as they climb into the top six.
City boss Pep Guardiola has committed himself to turning around the poorest run of his managerial career after extending his contract till 2027 this week.
But hopes his new deal could revitalize a City side, that have won an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, proved short-lived.
Rodri paraded his Ballon d’Or trophy to the home fans before kick-off as his name was lit up across the Etihad pitch by firelight in an ostentatious show of support for the Spanish midfielder.
The 28-year-old is not expected to play again this season after suffering knee ligament damage in September and his absence has been at the heart of City’s demise.
Guardiola’s men did start strongly as Guglielmo Vicario denied Erling Haaland and the Norwegian had another shot deflected wide.
But the momentum of the match completely swung on Tottenham’s first serious attack after 13 minutes.
Dejan Kulusevski’s teasing cross picked out Maddison who applied a cool first-time finish.
Maddison had found himself frozen out of Postecoglou’s starting line-up in recent weeks and was keen to prove a point to his manager.
Son Heung-min’s inventive pass freed the England international inside the box and he dinked the ball over the advancing Ederson to double Spurs’ lead.
Inconsistency has been the scourge of Tottenham’s season so far.
A 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich before the international break saw Postecoglou’s men slip to 10th in the table.
But they have now twice won comprehensively in Manchester after a 3-0 win over United at Old Trafford.
Dominic Solanke was denied by a fine Ederson save with the chance to make it 3-0 before half-time.
Spurs, though, were not to be denied seven minutes into the second period.
The excellent Kulusevski crossed for Solanke and he patiently laid the ball back for Porro to blast home from close range.
Haaland clipped the bar from an almost impossible angle as City labored to find a response.
Instead, they were hit with one final sucker punch as Timo Werner eased past Kyle Walker and crossed for Johnson to tap home at the far post.
The one glimmer of hope for City may be the return of Kevin De Bruyne after a two-month injury absence as a late substitute.
However, Guardiola has to find solutions fast if his side’s title defense is to be maintained into the new year.
A daunting trip to face Liverpool at Anfield is next up in the Premier League, where City have not won in front of a crowd since 2003.
Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes
- Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea
- Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal
LONDON: Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal team “flows in a different way” when Martin Odegaard is playing after the Gunners crushed Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday to end their winless run.
Stunning strikes from Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey and a first Premier League goal for teenager Ethan Nwaneri gave Arsenal a first victory in five league games, reigniting their title challenge.
Arsenal, Premier League runners-up for the past two seasons, started the campaign strongly but their form dipped and they kicked off on Saturday nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea.
Arsenal took the lead in the 15th minute when Saka exchanged passes with Odegaard on the edge of the area before lashing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.
Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal during his two-month injury absence.
Time and again the Norwegian found space in the penalty area with his quick feet and he teed up Gabriel Jesus, who curled narrowly wide, before linking up with Saka again.
Partey doubled Arsenal’s lead early in the second half after collecting Saka’s pass 20 yards out and taking a touch, before curling his shot away from the dive of Matz Sels and inside the far post.
Seventeen-year-old Nwaneri tucked away Raheem Sterling’s cutback to wrap up an emphatic win in the 86th minute.
“I think we started really well,” Arteta told the BBC. “The sense I was getting in the last 48 hours after the international break, the boys coming together and were all at it.”
Speaking about Odegaard, who returned to action at Inter Milan earlier this month, he said: “It’s not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when he is playing.”
And he also had warm words for Nwaneri.
“He is the second-youngest (Premier League goalscorer) in our history,” Arteta said. “That’s a story in itself.
“He’s brave. You see the reaction of fans and they were singing ‘He’s one of our own’. I think we have to put brick by brick and make sure the cement doesn’t get dry. Hopefully we can build a beautiful thing with him.”
