Palestinian Football Star Makes History in Electric Club World Cup Hat Trick Performance
By Sammy Baroud
Football is never just a game. It’s a global platform—and sometimes, it becomes a powerful voice for justice.
The 2025 Club World Cup has already delivered unforgettable moments, even though the tournament has yet to move past the group stage. But perhaps the most memorable of them all came from a son of Palestine who had the world at his feet for 90 minutes.
This year’s expanded 32-team format, held across cities in the United States, has brought more intensity and excitement than any previous edition. While Monday’s matchday featured high-stakes encounters from giants like Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich, global attention shifted toward an eight-goal thriller between the two teams that would ultimately finish at the bottom of Group A.
In a match where only pride was at stake, Egyptian champions Al Ahly—fresh off securing their 45th league title—delivered a remarkable performance against Portuguese powerhouse and former European champions FC Porto.
The fixture attracted millions of viewers: supporters of the very popular Al Ahly Club, and Arabs and Muslims worldwide in search of a team to rally behind. Most notably, Palestine’s football community was firmly behind the Egyptian giants, thanks to their star striker, #9 Wessam Abou Ali, who also leads the Palestinian national team.
Inside just 15 minutes, Abou Ali found the back of the net, sliding the ball between center-back Jose Pedro’s legs and past the onrushing Cláudio Ramos. The goal made history, marking the first time a Palestinian player had ever scored in a Club World Cup match.
He became only the second Palestinian to feature in the tournament, following goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh, who appeared in the 2008 edition in Japan—also with Al Ahly.
The breakthrough was already a landmark moment for Palestinian football, but Abou Ali wasn’t done making history. After Portuguese prodigy Rodrigo Mora equalized in the 23rd minute, Abou Ali responded just before halftime, coolly converting a penalty into the bottom corner after his teammate Zizo was fouled in the box.
As the spotlight shone on him once again, Abou Ali chose to shift it. He sprinted to the corner flag and performed his trademark celebration: one hand behind his back, the other raised in a victory sign—a tribute to Handala, the iconic figure created by Palestinian artist Naji Al-Ali in the 1970s. This barefoot Palestinian refugee child, forever turned away from the viewer, represents steadfastness in the face of displacement and exile. The gesture made it clear: some things are far bigger than football.
In a moment of sporting greatness, the 26-year-old Palestinian forward reminded the world of his people’s ongoing struggle. He used the global stage not only to raise awareness, but to embody resilience.
Born in the Shatat, diaspora, Abou Ali carries his people’s strength onto football’s biggest platforms, showing the world that Palestinians have achieved excellence in every field—including sport—while under decades of colonization and military occupation.
And the night was far from over. In the 50th minute, Brazilian midfielder William Gomes equalized for Porto with a stunning curler into the top right corner. Just one minute later, Abou Ali struck again. Rising high to meet a precise cross from Mohamed Hany, he sent a powerful header into the net.
With that, he completed a historic hat trick: the first ever by a Palestinian in a Club World Cup, the first by an Al Ahly player in the tournament, and only the sixth in the competition’s history. He joined the ranks of legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Luis Suárez.
That third goal not only restored Al Ahly’s lead but also elevated Abou Ali to joint top scorer of the tournament. He was awarded both the FIFA Club World Cup Superior Player of the Match and Celebration of the Match honors.
Porto struck back quickly. In the 53rd minute, Samu Aghehowa leveled the score with a header of his own. But Al Ahly would edge ahead once again, thanks to a stunning curving strike by Tunisian midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane from just outside the box. The final twist came in the 89th minute, when Pepê fired a long-range effort past Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El Shenawy, bringing the game to a dramatic 4–4 conclusion.
It was one of the most thrilling matches of the tournament—an emotional, high-scoring spectacle that football fans around the world will remember. But more than that, it became a defining moment in Palestinian sports history. On a night filled with spectacle, Wessam Abou Ali turned the spotlight toward his people—not to portray only their suffering, but to highlight their strength and dignity.
On the same matchday, Palestinian flags flew proudly in the Seattle Sounders Ultras section during their clash with European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Together, these gestures of solidarity offered something deeper: a reminder that football is not just a game. It’s a global platform—and sometimes, it becomes a powerful voice for justice.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Sammy Baroud is a young Palestinian-American Sports Writer and an aspiring footballer. He contributed this article to the Palestine Chronicle. Follow him @sammybaroud