The World Cup final turns into a political battle… Palestine versus the Zionist establishment

The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, has crossed the lines of a sporting competition into an arena of political conflict on social media platforms, as activists and media figures have linked the game to the two countries’ conflicting positions on the Gaza and Palestinian issue.

Al Jazeera Net, citing the Times of Israel, said the final showdown was widely seen online as a symbolic showdown between two countries that take diametrically opposed positions on the Zionist Organization and the Palestinians, far from sporting in nature.

The Israeli newspaper attributed this perception to the sharp difference in political stances between the two countries, as Argentine President Javier Milli, since assuming power in December 2023, has worked to strengthen relations with the Zionist Organization in an unprecedented way, while Argentina has become one of its closest allies at the international level.

Sanchez is at the opposite end

On the other hand, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and one of the most prominent supporters of the recognition of a Palestinian state, which effectively translated into May 2024, when Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine along with several other European countries.

Al Jazeera Net noted that social media platforms witnessed widespread posts describing the game as “Zionist Organization against Palestine”, while a number of influential and public figures declared their support for one of the two selected teams based on their governments’ political stances.

Among them, former mixed martial arts champion Habib Nur Mammadov, known for his strong support for the Palestinian cause, posted a message on his Instagram page confirming that he knows the team he will be supporting, clearly hinting at his support for Spain.

Lamin Yamal and Bardem raise the Palestinian flag

Al Jazeera Net noted that Spain star Lamine Yamal has attracted widespread attention after he appeared to carry a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s La Liga title celebrations, prompting Prime Minister Sanchez to praise his stance as expressing the solidarity of millions of Spaniards with the Palestinian people.

Popular Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who is a prominent supporter of the Palestinians, also appears at tournament matches, raising the Palestinian flag, in a scene that has been repeated several times during the World Cup.

Messi is far from politics

On the other hand, Al Jazeera Net explained that Argentina national team captain Lionel Messi has refrained from taking political positions throughout his career, but his relationship with the Zionist organization has been linked to his visits to Jerusalem and his participation in soccer events related to that organization, as well as professional relationships with companies associated with the organization.

Al Jazeera Net reports that the issue has led some social media users to share old photos of Messi during state-by-state visits and link them to claims that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) or referees are supporting Argentina because of its pro-Argentina stance.

Conspiracy theories are flooding the platforms

Al Jazeera Net noted that the story circulating on the Internet does not enjoy consensus within Argentina. Some fans refuse to classify their country’s national team as a pro-Zionist team, recalling the stance of late legend Diego Maradona, a strong supporter of Palestine.

These fans emphasized that President Javier Mele’s stances did not represent the entire Argentine people, while fans in the Gaza Strip rallied in support of Argentina and Messi, in a scene that reflected the complexity of the situation and the intersection of political and sporting dimensions.