Liverpool’s star forward Mohamed Salah took to social media to ask UEFA for more details surrounding the death of Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid.
Al-Obeid was a fixture of Palestine’s national team and finished as the league’s leading scorer in three consecutive years between 2015 and 2018. The Gaza-born forward, who earned the nickname the “Palestinian Pelé”, was hailed as “one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football” by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
The PFA claimed that Al-Obeid had been “killed in an Israeli strike targeting civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip” on Aug. 6 at age 41. He was married with five children.
Two days later, UEFA, European football’s governing body, delivered a short statement: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé.’ A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Can you tell us how he died, where, and why? https://t.co/W7HCyVVtBE
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) August 9, 2025
Salah quoted the X post with the question: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
The Egypt international has been measured in his previous statements regarding the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza having been initially criticised by some quarters for his silence on the topic. In October 2023, Salah released a video on social media calling for an end to the conflict.
“There has been too much violence, heartbreak and brutality,” he said. “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.”
Salah also called for humanitarian aid to be “immediately” delivered to Gaza and has previously donated to the Egyptian Red Crescent to support its relief efforts in the region.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mohamed Salah Questions UEFA Over Tribute to ‘Palestinian Pele’.
