Amid ongoing conflict, Palestine did not request separate away supporter sections for their match against South Korea. Only one journalist applied for press accreditation.
Under the leadership of head coach Hong Myung Bo, the South Korean national soccer team will face Palestine today at Seoul World Cup Stadium. This match is Group B’s first group-stage game in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Palestine continues to suffer due to the ongoing conflict between the militant group Hamas and Israel. In August, Israeli airstrikes targeted humanitarian zones in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of over 70 Palestinian civilians. On August 16, Israel detained the president of the Palestinian Football Association, among other incidents.
While many Palestinians are keenly interested in their national team’s World Cup journey, the current situation in their country prevents them from attending the away game in person.
A Korea Football Association (KFA) official explained, “Neither the Palestinian Football Association nor their embassy or consulates requested tickets. Therefore, there will be no separate away section for this match.”
This starkly contrasts the final match of the second qualifying round in June, when the Chinese Football Association purchased 3,500 away tickets, filling an entire section of the stands with Chinese supporters.
The KFA representative added, “While Palestinian fans residing in Korea or fans from other Middle Eastern countries might individually purchase tickets and attend the match, the number is expected to be relatively small.”
Only one Palestinian media outlet will be present at the event. A KFA representative noted, “Although a request for accreditation was submitted for the pre-match press conference, no Palestine journalists attended. It’s possible that the one journalist who applied may not have been able to enter the country.”
Despite losing the right to host home matches in the third qualifying round due to safety concerns, FIFA later allowed Palestine to play its home games.
As a result, Palestine will play their home match against Jordan, scheduled for October 10, at a neutral site in Malaysia. However, the following four home games will be held at their home ground, the Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium in Jerusalem.
South Korea’s national team is also expected to play their away match against Palestine on November 19 in the conflict-affected region.
