Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged supporters to rally behind next Tuesday’s match in Barcelona between the Catalonia and Palestine national football teams, describing the encounter as “much more than a game” and a powerful symbol of solidarity.
In a video posted Thursday on Instagram, Guardiola praised Barcelona – the capital of the autonomous Catalonia region – as a “city of peace” and underscored the deeper meaning behind the friendly. He said the match stands as a collective call for unity and a tribute to the more than 400 Palestinian athletes killed in Gaza since October 2023.
“Barcelona, city of peace, hosts Tuesday, Nov. 18, the match between the Catalan National Team and the Palestinian National Team at the Olympic Stadium,” wrote Guardiola, a former footballer born in Catalonia.
“It is much more than a game. It is a cry for solidarity, in tribute to the more than 400 Palestinian athletes who have been killed in Gaza. Let’s fill the stadium!”
The match, organized to promote unity and raise awareness of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, is expected to draw thousands of supporters. Officials and sports organizations have highlighted the importance of using sports as a platform to advocate for peace and human dignity.
In May, in a landmark move, Spain recognized the state of Palestine alongside Ireland and Norway, leading the way for other Western countries to follow.
According to the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the Palestine Football Association, about 400 athletes were killed between Oct. 7, 2023, and July, including 245 football players, among them 69 children and 176 young men.
The toll has likely risen since.
Since October 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 69,000 people and injured more than 170,600, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
