Pep Guardiola welcomed a group of Palestinian children to his annual youth football camp in Spain this summer, extending his long-standing support for the Palestinian cause by allowing youngsters affected by the conflict to enjoy football alongside hundreds of other participants.
The former Manchester City manager hosted the children during the sixth edition of the Pep Summer Camp, held in the village of Rialp in Spain's Catalonia region.
Organized by the Guardiola Sala Foundation, the three-week camp combined football training with lessons on nutrition, teamwork, social responsibility and personal development for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 16.
A total of around 705 children attended the 2026 camp, which ran from late June through mid-July.
Among them were 28 Palestinian children, according to local Spanish newspaper Segre, the figure most consistently reported by regional media. Earlier reports had estimated between 25 and 31 participants.
Rather than creating a separate program, organizers integrated the Palestinian children into regular training groups with other campers. Five monitors also served as interpreters to help them communicate and settle into camp life.
The initiative began after a young Palestinian living in Barcelona contacted camp organizers in January with the idea of bringing children from Palestine to meet Guardiola and experience a period away from the hardships of conflict. The children traveled from Tel Aviv to Barcelona before joining the camp in the Catalan Pyrenees.
Camp coordinator Toni Aguilar said the goal was to ensure every child felt included.
"Here they are just one more," Aguilar said. "They forget the problems they live with every day and enjoy playing football with the other children. Football is universal. Behind the ball, we are all equal."
Guardiola spent time with the children during the camp, chatting, posing for photographs and watching training sessions. Videos showing the Spanish coach interacting warmly with the youngsters quickly spread across social media.
Laura Guerra, director of the Guardiola Sala Foundation, said the foundation aims to expose participants to different life experiences while promoting empathy and inclusion through sport. She added that organizers hope similar initiatives can continue in future editions of the camp.
The camp has become one of the foundation's flagship youth projects, offering both residential and day programs while welcoming guest coaches, former professional players and specialists who help deliver football instruction alongside educational workshops.
Guardiola has been one of football's most outspoken supporters of the Palestinian cause.
He has repeatedly spoken about the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, publicly condemned the violence, worn a keffiyeh during public appearances and participated in solidarity events in Barcelona.
Earlier this year, he also criticized what he described as international inaction over the plight of Palestinian children.
