‘Can you tell us how he died?’: Mohamed Salah criticises Uefa over tribute to ‘Palestinian Pelé’

Mohamed Salah has criticised Uefa for failing to state how a footballer known as the “Palestinian Pelé” died in a tribute it posted.

Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday in southern Gaza when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) said.

‘‘Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’, Uefa posted on X on Friday. ‘‘A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.’’

Salah replied to Uefa’s post on Saturday, saying: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”

Obeid scored twice for the Palestinian national side, most memorably with a scissor-kick against Yemen during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation championship. Photograph: X

The Liverpool player and Egypt star has consistently voiced sympathy for those in Gaza throughout the conflict. Two years ago, he donated to the Egyptian Red Cross to help fund its relief efforts in the region.

A fixture in the Palestinian national side after his debut in 2007, Obeid gained 24 caps and scored twice, the PFA said last week, most memorably with a scissor-kick against Yemen during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation championship.

‘‘During his long career, al-Obeid, 41, scored more than 100 goals, making him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football,” it said.

His talent on the pitch earned him the nickname of “the Palestinian Pelé” – a nod to the legendary Brazilian widely hailed as one of the greatest players of all time.

Obeid’s death added to a growing toll of athletes lost in Gaza since the war began, with at least 662 sportspeople and their relatives reported to have been killed.

“The number of footballers killed or who died from starvation has reached 421, including 103 children,” the PFA said.

According to the PFA, 288 sports facilities have been damaged or reduced to rubble across Gaza and the West Bank, from stadiums and training grounds to gyms and clubhouses. The vast majority, 268, were in Gaza, while 20 were in the West Bank, with about half serving football directly.

Among the sites hit was the PFA’s headquarters in Gaza, struck during an Israeli air raid.

More than 1,300 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the vicinity of aid distribution points managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since the US- and Israeli-backed logistic group’s launch in late May.

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