Corbyn and Lineker condemn Uefa for tribute to ‘Palestinian Pele’

Suleiman al-Obeid was killed by Israeli forces whilst waiting for aid, the Palestine Football Association said

Al-Obeid, who was known as the ‘Palestinian Pele’, was killed on Wednesday by Israeli forces after they targeted civilians waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) said.

Following the news of Al-Obeid’s death, Uefa shared a tribute on social media which read: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times”.

However, many took issue with the tribute for seeming to ignore the fact that Al-Obeid was killed by Israeli forces. One of those who called out Uefa for the post was Liverpool superstar Mo Salah.

Sharing the post on X, he wrote: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”

Salah has since been joined by Jeremy Corbyn and Gary Lineker in condemning Uefa.

On Instagram, Lineker shared an article about the backlash to Uefa’s post, writing: “We can’t hear you Uefa.”

Meanwhile Corbyn showed his support for Salah’s comments, writing: “Well said Mo!”

At the time of writing, Salah’s post has been viewed by 104 million users on X.

In 2023, Salah posted on social media calling for an end to the “massacres” in Gaza.

“It is not always easy to speak in a time like this,” he said in 2023. “There has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality.

“The escalations in recent weeks is unbearable to witness. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop, families are being torn apart.”

Al-Obeid scored more than 100 goals over his career, including two for the Palestinian national team, “making him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football,” the PFA said in their tribute.

He is survived by his wife and five children.