As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America, millions of soccer fans around the world are gathering in stadiums, homes, and cafés to watch the tournament. In Gaza, however, where war and its aftermath continue to shape daily life, the World Cup feels distant for many residents. Some are unable to watch matches due to electricity and internet outages, while others have lost the ability to play the game they once loved because of war-related injuries.

Among them is 19-year-old Mohammed Khaled Afana from Jabalia in northern Gaza. Before the war, he was a soccer (“football”) player for Khadamat Jabalia Club and spent much of his time training and following local and international matches.

On July 20, 2025, Afana suffered a life-changing injury while attempting to obtain flour from an aid distribution point in the Netzarim area. According to his account, he was shot by a quadcopter drone, leaving him with partial paralysis and severe spinal cord damage. The injury abruptly ended his soccer career and transformed every aspect of his life.

“My greatest dream was to become a professional football player,” Afana said. “My entire life revolved around football. It was more than just a game to me. Football was my life.”

Before his injury, Afana spent long hours training with his club and dreamed of one day representing Palestine in international competitions. He still remembers hearing the cheers of supporters during local matches.

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Majd Al-Muqayyad, a Gaza resident and soccer enthusiast, said he used to spend much of the World Cup watching matches with friends or in local cafés.

“We used to wait for the World Cup with great excitement,” he said. “The matches brought us together for hours. Today, everything has changed.”

He explained that following the tournament has become increasingly difficult amid Gaza’s current conditions.

“I spend most of my day trying to secure basic necessities for my family,” he said. “Searching for food, water, and cooking supplies takes so much time and energy that watching football is no longer a priority.”

He added that frequent electricity and internet outages often make it impossible to watch matches or even follow the results in real time.

According to Siam, the war has fundamentally changed the priorities of both players and fans.

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He noted that many soccer players now live in tents or displacement shelters under difficult humanitarian conditions.

“Many players who once spent hours on football fields now spend their days searching for water, aid, or necessities for their children,” Siam said. “For them, survival has become more important than sport.”

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Meanwhile, Afana, who once dreamed of wearing the jersey of a major international club, now follows World Cup news only occasionally whenever he can access the internet. Electricity shortages and unstable communications prevent him from watching matches regularly.

“After my injury, I could no longer go to cafés or gather with friends to watch football,” he said. “There is also no reliable electricity or internet where I am currently displaced.”

The injury has not only changed Afana’s relationship with soccer but has also transformed his dreams.

“Instead of dreaming about playing for major clubs and representing Palestine, my dream now is simply to stand on my feet again,” he said.