Since October 7, 2023, and the Israeli offensive on Gaza, the world of sports has not been silent. From footballers to basketball players, coaches to tennis players, global stars have broken the taboo and publicly displayed their support for the Palestinian people — sometimes at the cost of their careers, contracts, or reputations. Here are the 20 most committed athletes to the Palestinian cause, from the most recent to the most historical.
Lamine Yamal — The gesture that went viral (May 2026)
On May 11, 2026, during FC Barcelona's Spanish league title parade, Lamine Yamal waved a Palestinian flag from the open-top bus in front of 750,000 people in the streets of Barcelona. The 18-year-old star's gesture immediately went viral and sparked intense controversy in Spain and beyond.
Pro-Israeli reactions were immediate and violent. But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the young prodigy: "Those who believe that waving a state's flag is an incitement to hatred have lost their minds. Lamine merely expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people." Coach Hansi Flick, for his part, accepted it: "He's 18, it's his decision."
Yamal's gesture is all the more powerful as he is the best player in the world at that age, a global star who uses his fame to serve a cause. He published photos of the flag on his Instagram account, amplified by millions of shares. It is the most publicized pro-Palestine gesture in sports history.
Ousmane Dembélé — The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner who doesn't stay silent
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d'Or — the first since Karim Benzema for a French player. But long before this ultimate consecration, the PSG forward had already shown his commitment to Palestine.
In May 2021, he was one of the first elite footballers to post on Instagram: "The people of Palestine refuse to be silent." In May 2024, he shared "All eyes on Rafah" on his social networks, as images of the Rafah camp massacre spread globally. In November 2024, he was absent from the France-Israel match in the Nations League — officially due to a muscle injury. Furthermore, Dembélé also officially supports Lebanon, as evidenced by a post on his social networks in April 2026.
Dembélé embodies a generation of footballers who refuse to separate sports from politics. Ballon d'Or winner and pro-Palestine advocate: a strong symbol for millions of fans.
Pep Guardiola — The world's bravest coach
Among active football coaches worldwide, Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly the one who has taken the strongest and most repeated stances for Palestine. This is despite pressure from his club, his community, and football institutions.
In December 2023, during a ceremony at the University of Manchester where he received an honorary doctorate, Guardiola declared: "What we see in Gaza is so painful. It hurts me throughout my whole body. It's not a matter of ideology. It's a matter of love for life." In June 2025, he reiterated his statements, visibly moved, during a press conference.
On January 29, 2026, Guardiola took the stage at the "Act x Palestine" concert in Barcelona in front of 12,000 people, dressed in a black and white Arafat style Palestinian keffiyeh. He delivered a manifesto speech starting with "Assalamu alaikum" in Arabic. "We left them alone, abandoned," he declared, eyes glistening. The next day, at a press conference for a League Cup match, he announced that he would continue to defend Palestine despite all pressures.
Guardiola also supported the Catalonia vs. Palestine charity match in November 2025, held at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. While the Jewish community in Manchester asked him to "focus on football," he refused to be silenced. He is one of the few managers in the global elite to have maintained such a strong and consistent public position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Eric Cantona — The legend who called for Israel's suspension from football
Eric Cantona is undoubtedly the most committed retired athlete to Palestine. The Manchester United and French national team legend goes far beyond a simple Instagram post — he makes the fight for Palestine a major personal and public cause.
In October 2023, he published a long message on Instagram that went viral: "Defending Palestinian rights does not mean being pro-Hamas. Saying 'Free Palestine' does not mean being antisemitic or wanting to expel all Jews. Free Palestine means freeing Palestinians from the Israeli occupation that has deprived their people of their fundamental human rights for 75 years." A text of rare clarity and precision in the world of sports.
In September 2025, Cantona took the stage at the "Together for Palestine" concert at Wembley Arena in front of 12,500 people, alongside Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, and Benedict Cumberbatch. He delivered a resounding speech calling for Israel's suspension from international football: "FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia four days after the start of the war in Ukraine. We are now 716 days into what Amnesty International calls a genocide, and Israel continues to participate. Why? Why this double standard?" He urged clubs and players worldwide to refuse to play against Israeli teams.
Cantona also signed the appeal for France's official recognition of the State of Palestine, published in L'Humanité with 500 other personalities. A total commitment, on all fronts. To learn more about the countries and personalities that support Palestine, consult our article which countries support Palestine.
Mohamed Salah — The star who challenged UEFA
Mohamed Salah is one of the most popular footballers in the world, and one of the most influential Arab voices in global sports. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, he has consistently spoken out.
In October 2023, he posted an emotional video on his social media: "There has been too much violence and brutality. The massacres must stop, families are being torn apart. What is clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. I call on world leaders to unite to prevent the slaughter of innocent souls." The video was viewed tens of millions of times.
In August 2025, he directly challenged UEFA on social media after the death of Suleiman al-Obeid, nicknamed the "Palestinian Pelé," killed during a humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza. UEFA had paid tribute to the player without mentioning the circumstances of his death. Salah commented directly on UEFA's post: "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" His tweet was viewed 30 million times in four hours. A challenge of rare power.
Riyad Mahrez — A consistent voice in favor of Palestine
Riyad Mahrez is one of the most committed footballers when it comes to publicly displaying his support for Palestine. Unlike many football stars who prefer to avoid the subject, the Algerian international has made numerous symbolic gestures over the years, both on social media and on the pitch.
In May 2021, having just won the Premier League with Manchester City, Mahrez celebrated the title by waving the Palestinian flag in front of supporters at the Etihad Stadium. The images quickly went global and became one of the most publicized gestures of support made by a prominent football player.
During the escalation of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, the captain of the Algerian national team once again showed his solidarity. On Instagram, he shared an image of the Dome of the Rock accompanied by the verse: "Indeed, the help of Allah is near." A few days later, after an Algeria match, he appeared with Ahmed Touba and Saïd Benrahma holding the Palestinian flag, accompanied by the message: "We want peace."
Through his consistency and international visibility, Riyad Mahrez has become one of the sports figures most associated with supporting the Palestinian cause. His commitment is part of a long tradition of solidarity between the Algerian and Palestinian peoples, making him one of the most influential spokespersons for this cause in world football.
If you like Mahrez and support Algeria, you won't be indifferent to our exclusive Palestine Algeria jersey!
Noussair Mazraoui — The player who risked his career
Noussair Mazraoui, now a Manchester United defender and Moroccan international, is the most striking example of an active player who concretely risked his career for his support of Palestine.
In October 2023, a few days after the start of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, the Bayern Munich right-back posted several Instagram stories supporting Palestine, including one with the message "help our oppressed brothers in Palestine so they can win victory." The reaction in Germany was immediate and violent: a Bundestag MP called for his expulsion from the country, a politician filed a criminal complaint against him for "glorifying terrorism," and Bayern Munich summoned him for a crisis meeting.
Mazraoui was sidelined from the team for several days. He was forced to issue clarifications, condemning "all forms of terrorism." But he maintained his core position: his support for the Palestinian people. Bayern eventually announced that there would be no sanctions. Mazraoui would remain "pro-Palestinian to the end," as Maroc Hebdo titled.
His case is not isolated — the same month, his Moroccan teammates Hakim Ziyech, Zakaria Aboukhlal, and Adnane Sabiri received the same treatment on social media, with their pro-Palestine posts deleted by algorithms. Ziyech publicly denounced it: "They are trying to silence us, it's literally us against the world."
Frédéric Kanouté — The pioneer who started it all
Frédéric Kanouté deserves a special place on this list, as he initiated the first major movement of solidarity among European footballers with Palestine.
In 2009, while playing for FC Sevilla, he scored a goal in the Spanish Cup round of 16 and lifted his jersey to reveal a t-shirt screen-printed with "Palestine" in several languages. The Spanish football federation fined him. He paid it without hesitation or retraction. The gesture went viral worldwide.
In November 2012, he mobilized some sixty of the best European footballers for a collective statement denouncing Israeli bombings on Gaza. Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Steve Mandanda, the Ayew brothers, Jérémy Ménez, Demba Ba — all prominent names who signed the text. A text whose strength still resonates today: "We, European footballers, express our solidarity with the people of Gaza who have lived under siege for too long." Kanouté is the true pioneer of the pro-Palestine sports movement. Everything that followed owes much to him.
Kanouté popularized the wearing of Palestinian jerseys worldwide, as a sign of solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Jules Koundé — The clear and measured voice
In October 2023, Jules Koundé, FC Barcelona defender and French international, shared a post by European MP Raphaël Glucksmann on Instagram: "Our total empathy for Israeli victims must not be coupled with indifference to the ordeal of Palestinian civilians. To target Hamas, we cannot condone the endless piling up of Palestinian corpses."
Some media truncated his message, only retaining the support for Palestinians. Koundé responded with the same clarity: "As often, they throw out a sensationalist headline, deliberately omitting half of the statement. We call that intellectual dishonesty." His position is precise, nuanced, and assumed — a mature and intelligent way to approach a subject where many choose silence. Koundé embodies this generation of French footballers who did not wait for it to be "safe" to speak.
Karim Benzema — The legend who wasn't afraid
Karim Benzema is one of the first French footballers of global stature to have publicly supported Palestine. Since 2023, he has multiplied his statements on his social networks, at the risk of being accused of links with the Muslim Brotherhood by certain French politicians.
In October 2023, he posted on X: "All our prayers for the inhabitants of Gaza, victims once again of these unjust bombings that spare neither women nor children." An Israeli football legend violently attacked him. French politicians accused him. He retracted nothing. Benzema follows in the footsteps of Kanouté, Fékir, and Ribéry — French footballers who chose their side, long before it was popular to do so.
Achraf Hakimi — The Moroccan pride
Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain defender and one of the best full-backs in the world, has regularly expressed his support for the Palestinian people since the beginning of the conflict. The Moroccan, deeply attached to his roots and his faith, has posted several messages of solidarity on his social media, joining the movement of Moroccan footballers committed alongside Palestine — alongside Mazraoui, Ziyech, and other Moroccan internationals who have defied pressure to speak out. His commitment illustrates how much Moroccan football has become one of the strongest voices in world sports for the Palestinian cause.
Paul Pogba — The message from the heart
Paul Pogba, then a Manchester United player, posted a message of solidarity with Palestine on his social media during the 2021 offensives: "The world needs peace and love. Pray for Palestine." Simple, direct, and signed by one of the most followed footballers in the world with over 50 million Instagram followers. A gesture that counts all the more as it comes from a player who could have chosen — like so many others — to say nothing. Pogba chose to speak.
Paul Pogba waving a large Palestinian flag after a Manchester United match, May 18, 2021.
Eden Hazard — The signature that matters
Eden Hazard, considered one of the best European players of his generation, three-time Belgian champion and two-time Europa League winner with Chelsea, signed the Kanouté stand in 2012. At the time, he was on the rise, a central figure for Chelsea and the Belgian national team. Putting his signature on a pro-Palestine political text, in the middle of his career, with the contractual and commercial stakes involved, required real courage. Hazard chose his values over his interests.
Steve Mandanda — The Committed Goalkeeper
Steve Mandanda, a legendary figure of Olympique de Marseille and the French national team, was among the most emblematic signatories of the Kanouté stand in 2012. A top goalkeeper in French football for over a decade, and an ambassador for the Marseille club among its supporters, he associated his name with a cause that was clearly important to him. In Marseille, a city with a deep Mediterranean community fabric, his gesture was not insignificant. It reflects the humanist values of a player who never separated his life as an athlete from his civic conscience.
Nabil Fékir — Discreet but Constant Commitment
Nabil Fékir, a French international who played for Olympique Lyonnais and Real Betis Sevilla, publicly expressed his support for Palestine during the 2023 offensives, alongside Benzema and Ribéry. In a context where many players prudently choose silence to protect their image and sponsors, Fékir fully embraced his solidarity. His commitment illustrates a reality of French football: players of North African immigrant background are often at the forefront on this issue, bringing both their faith, their culture, and their humanity to their stance.
Franck Ribéry — The Legend Who Never Forgets
Franck Ribéry, three-time German champion with Bayern Munich and Champions League winner, is one of the greatest legends of French football. Converted to Islam and deeply attached to his faith, he expressed his support for Palestine during several offensives in Gaza, alongside Benzema and Fékir. His life journey—a difficult child from Boulogne-sur-Mer who became a European champion—forged in him a particular sensitivity to injustice. He never waited for it to be politically comfortable to speak his mind on what matters to him.
Kyrie Irving — The Basketball Player Who Carries the Message to the NBA
The NBA All-Star Game in February 2026 in Los Angeles will be remembered for a powerful gesture: Kyrie Irving, NBA star, wearing a "PRESS" t-shirt dedicated to journalists killed in Gaza. The garment, created by the brand Wear the Peace, bears the inverted message: "Dedicated to our beloved journalists in Gaza who show the truth to the world." Irving had already worn it during a previous NBA game. A gesture all the more symbolic as it took place in the presence of the first Israeli player participating in the All-Star Game.
This "PRESS" t-shirt is also the one found on our Palestine PRESS hoodie with the embroidered watermelon on the sleeve — a tribute to the journalists of Gaza.
Dwight Howard — The Voice of American Basketball
Dwight Howard, former NBA star center for Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets, is one of the few high-profile American athletes to have publicly expressed his support for Palestine. In a country where such a stance can have significant commercial consequences on advertising contracts and partnerships, his commitment is all the more noteworthy. Howard is not the only American basketball player to have spoken out, but he is one of the most well-known to have done so clearly and unambiguously.
Ons Jabeur — The Arab Pride of Tennis
Ons Jabeur, a Tunisian tennis player and former world number 2, is the first Arab and first African woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final. She has publicly expressed her support for the Palestinian people, exposing herself to criticism in a sport historically very attached to political neutrality. Tennis is one of the sports where it is most difficult to express oneself politically — players depend on international sponsors and organizations that value their apolitical image. The fact that Jabeur, at the height of her global fame, chose to speak out regardless says a lot about her convictions.
Émilie Gomis — The Sacrificed French Basketball Player
The story of Émilie Gomis is one of the most illuminating on this list. A former professional basketball player, French international, and figure in French sport, she had been appointed ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — an honor and recognition of her exceptional career. But due to her pro-Palestine social media posts, she was revoked from this position by the Olympic Games organizers even before the Games began.
Her eviction sparked a significant controversy in France. It concretely illustrates what athletes risk when they dare to express their solidarity with Palestine: not only media pressure and online attacks, but also direct and immediate professional consequences. Émilie Gomis paid a high price for her freedom of speech. Her case remains a symbol of the censorship that affects pro-Palestine voices in institutional sports.
Since then, Emilie has not appeared without her keffiyeh, ultimate proof of her courage and humanity,
Sport Facing Palestine: A Silence That Is Breaking
These 20 athletes are not alone. Since 2023, hundreds of athletes worldwide have expressed their solidarity with Palestine — often at the cost of pressure, criticism, or even professional consequences. The movement of pro-Palestine athletes is part of a long tradition: that of athletes who refuse for sport to serve as a screen for injustice.
To understand why so many athletes from the Arab and African diaspora feel particularly concerned, discover our article on the Palestinian personalities who have marked history. And to take concrete action, consult our guide how to help Palestine.
To support Palestine daily, like these courageous high-level athletes, wear your convictions proudly with our Palestinian keffiyehs, our Palestine jerseys and our Palestinian flags.
Finally, we invite you to discover our exclusive and unique collection of Palestinian football jerseys special for the 2026 World Cup, in homage to the people of Palestine.
Every purchase is an act of solidarity. 🇵🇸
FAQ — Pro-Palestine Athletes
What is the most recent pro-Palestinian gesture in sports?
The most recent and highly publicized gesture is that of Lamine Yamal, who waved a Palestinian flag during FC Barcelona's Spanish championship title parade on May 11, 2026, in front of 750,000 people in the streets of Barcelona. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly defended him.
Which football coach has been most committed to Palestine?
Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly the most committed active coach for Palestine. He has given several public speeches since 2023, wore a Palestinian keffiyeh on stage in Barcelona in January 2026, and stated in a press conference that he would continue to defend Palestine despite the pressure.
Which French footballers support Palestine?
Many French footballers have expressed their support for Palestine: Ousmane Dembélé (Ballon d'Or 2025), Jules Koundé, Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Nabil Fékir, Franck Ribéry, Steve Mandanda, Eric Cantona, and many others. France is among the countries where footballers have most vocalized on the subject.
Has any athlete lost their job for supporting Palestine?
Yes. Émilie Gomis, a former French basketball player, was revoked from her position as ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to her pro-Palestine publications. Anwar El Ghazi was suspended by his Bundesliga club Mainz for the same reasons. Noussair Mazraoui almost lost his place at Bayern Munich after his pro-Palestine posts in October 2023.
Are there pro-Palestinian athletes outside of football?
Yes. In basketball, Kyrie Irving wore a "PRESS" t-shirt in tribute to journalists killed in Gaza during the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, and Dwight Howard publicly supported Palestine. In tennis, Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, former world number 2, expressed her support despite pressure in her sport. And in France, basketball player Émilie Gomis was sanctioned for her pro-Palestine stances.