Palestinian-American Kids Find Escape on the Soccer Pitch
PATERSON, NJ — On a sweltering Saturday evening in Passaic County, Northern New Jersey, about 60 children take to a soccer field at Frank D Zaccaria Memorial Park, flushed and dripping sweat. For these young athletes training just a short commute from MetLife Stadium — one of the host venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the sport is far more than a game. It is an outlet for big dreams, deep grief, and the complex emotions of navigating dual identities as Palestinian-Americans.
“I’m telling you, without soccer the world has no meaning,” said 13-year-old Taim Nadin, originally from Qatar, during a water break. “Without soccer in life there’s nothing. If I didn’t play soccer, I’d be nothing, right?”
A Club Born from Crisis
The Palestino Soccer Academy (PSA) was founded three years ago by Coach Omar Abdulaziz, who moved from the West Bank to Puerto Rico as a teenager in the 1980s. He started the club as a way to teach about soccer in Palestinian culture and, more urgently, to address the emotional toll the Gaza conflict was taking on local children.
“We could hear their frustrations, they were emotionally unwell,” Abdulaziz said in Spanish. “Soccer, to us, is a moment to disconnect, a moment of tranquility, a moment to detach from the suffering of reality.”
The academy, which now serves children of all backgrounds, is anchored around Northern New Jersey’s large Palestinian-American community. Paterson — just minutes from the practice field — is home to one of the largest Palestinian-American populations in the United States, with its southern half nicknamed “Little Ramallah” and an Arab American population estimated as high as 20,000, according to Wikipedia.
Coping Through Sport
For 14-year-old Obaida Al Amleh, soccer is a lifeline. Born in the West Bank, he spent part of his childhood there and lost five close family friends in an Israeli airstrike. The day he received the news, there was no official practice scheduled, but he needed the field.
“You can ball in the pitch, or you can bawl at home, I guess,” he said.
So he called up some teammates and “we just came here, and balled out. We just kept playing and playing for hours straight.”
Obaida’s story reflects a broader tragedy. According to NPR, Palestinian officials report that 90% of sports infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed, and 450 people involved in the sport — including athletes, coaches, referees, and officials — have been killed in Israeli attacks. The Middle East Monitor reported in February 2026 that the Palestinian Olympic Committee confirmed at least 1,007 Palestinian sportspeople killed and 265 sports facilities destroyed or damaged since October 2023. The Palestinian national soccer team did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
A Role Model in Lamine Yamal
The boys in New Jersey have found other teams and star players to root for, especially 18-year-old FC Barcelona and Spain striker Lamine Yamal. When Yamal waved a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s La Liga championship parade in May 2026, the moment went viral — and photos of it now serve as wallpaper on many of the New Jersey boys’ cellphones.
“When he gets on the pitch he forgets about everything and just focuses on the game, on the players, on how they play,” Obaida said of Yamal. “I thought it was very special for the people who are going through the worst right now.”
Yamal, the child of immigrants to Spain, has also taken a vocal stance against anti-Muslim chants at Spanish soccer games, making him an even more powerful symbol for these young athletes navigating their own dual identities.
The World Cup as Backdrop
The timing of the 2026 World Cup, being hosted across North America from June 11 to July 19, provides a unique backdrop. The Palestino Academy trains just a short drive from MetLife Stadium, giving the children a tangible connection to the global soccer stage — even as their ancestral homeland’s team was unable to qualify.
For these kids, the academy offers more than athletic training. At $199 per month for three weekly sessions, it provides professional coaching, indoor and outdoor field access, and — most importantly — a community where Palestinian identity is a source of pride, not a burden.
What’s Next
As the World Cup unfolds across North America, the children of the Palestino Soccer Academy will be watching — cheering for players like Yamal who represent both excellence on the pitch and solidarity with their heritage. Meanwhile, Coach Abdulaziz and his team continue to expand the program, offering a space where young Palestinian-Americans can process grief, build confidence, and simply be kids.
“All I care about is God and soccer,” Taim Nadin said. For these children, that singular focus may be exactly what they need.
NPR’s Anas Baba contributed to this report from Gaza.