Palestinian UN mission’s X account mocks Argentina and Israel after World Cup final

LONDON: The Palestinian mission to the UN took to X to mock Argentina and Israel after Spain defeated the South American side on Sunday to claim the FIFA World Cup trophy.

The incident highlights how major sporting events can become entangled with political tensions, especially amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The post featured a photo of the Spanish squad with the caption “Campeones del Mundo” (world champions), and also shared a tweet from the Israeli prime minister’s office showing Argentine ambassador Shimon Axel Wahnish giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an Argentina jersey and ball after Netanyahu had expressed support for the team in the final.

By Monday the post had been viewed almost 11 million times.

Spain won the final 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ferran Torres in extra time, dashing the 2022 winners’ hopes of retaining the trophy in what was likely to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup campaign.

Netanyahu had openly cheered for the South Americans ahead of the final, stating on Saturday: “We support Argentina in so many ways. I think most Israeli citizens are rooting for Argentina. Good luck. Vamos Argentina.”

Netanyahu and the Argentine president, Javier Milei, have developed close ties, with the former describing the latter as a “great friend” to Israel. Milei has described himself as “the most Zionist president in the world.”

Spain, meanwhile, has been one of Israel’s sharpest critics, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Football-related tensions rose when Spanish forward Lamine Yamal waved a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s title celebrations this year. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, accused the player of inciting hatred against Israel but the gesture drew support from Palestinians, with murals of the 19-year-old appearing in Gaza.

The war in Gaza has also prompted wider protests in football, including a “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign by supporters of Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic. Human rights groups and fans have renewed calls for FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international competitions, citing as reasons the deaths of Palestinian athletes, Israeli clubs linked to illegal settlements, and alleged discrimination against Arab players.

The Palestinian Football Association has been pressing for Israel to be suspended in the same way Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine. Israel competed in the World Cup qualifiers but failed to advance to the finals.

The post comes against the backdrop of the devastating war in Gaza, which has spilled into the world of football. Palestinian and human rights groups have renewed calls for FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel, drawing parallels with Russia's exclusion after the Ukraine invasion. Israel, which failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals, continues to compete in international matches despite the controversy.