Mohamed Salah of Liverpool FC and Egypt directly confronted UEFA on social media over a seemingly vague tribute to a Palestinian player killed in Gaza.
Mohamed Salah, a forward who plays for Liverpool FC in England and captains the Egyptian national team, queried the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) over its message posted in response to the death of Palestinian player Suleiman al-Obeid.
In a message posted to X and then reposted across his social media, Salah wrote: «Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?»
Newsweek reached out to UEFA and Liverpool FC by email, and to Mohamed Salah’s agent through social media, outside of normal business hours on Sunday afternoon for comment.Why It Matters
Salah has become one of – if not the – most prominent Muslim players in world soccer, with Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal calling Salah «the most high-profile Muslim player in the world.»
Liverpool fans have nicknamed Salah «the Egyptian king», and his popularity in his home country led to him receiving votes in the 2018 Egyptian presidential election as devoted fans spoiled their ballots and wrote in his name.
Salah has previously called for more humanitarian aid into Gaza, urging such efforts as early as the first weeks after the October 7 Hamas attack as Israel began its retaliation.
