Suleiman Obeid, also spelled Sulaiman Al-Obaid (Arabic: سليمان العبيد; 24 March 1984 – 6 August 2025), was a Palestinian international footballer who played as a forward and winger. He scored his first international goal during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship, and represented the national team during the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification and the 2014 World Cup qualifying.[2][3] Obeid was also known as the "Palestinian Pelé", after the Brazilian footballer.[4]
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Suleiman Ahmed Zaid Obeid | ||
| Date of birth | 24 March 1984[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Israeli Civil Administration[1] | ||
| Date of death | 6 August 2025 (aged 41) | ||
| Place of death | Gaza Strip, Palestine | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, Right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | ||
| 2009–2013 | Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari | ||
| 2013–2014 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | ||
| 2014–2016 | Gaza Sport | ||
| 2016–2023 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | ||
| International career | |||
| 2007–2013 | Palestine | 19 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
On 6 August 2025, Obeid was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Gaza while waiting for humanitarian aid alongside other civilians, according to the Palestinian Football Association. He was survived by his wife and five children.[4]
Career statistics
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 19 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Palestine's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Obeid goal.[5]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 September 2010 | Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan |  Yemen
|
1–2 | 1–3 | 2010 WAFF Championship | |
| 2 | 22 August 2011 | Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia |  Indonesia
|
1–0 | 1–4 | Friendly |
Honours
Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari
- AFC President's Cup runners-up: 2012
Individual
- Gaza Strip Premier League top scorer: 2016–17[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b "استشهاد اللاعب السابق للمنتخب الوطني سليمان العبيد برصاص الاحتلال في قطاع غزة". Palestinian Football Association. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™: - FIFA.com". FIFA.com.
- ^ "كووورة: الموقع العربي الرياضي الأول".
- ^ a b Tondo, Lorenzo (7 August 2025). "'Palestinian Pelé' killed in Israeli attack in southern Gaza". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "Sulaiman Al-Obaid (Player)".
- ^ "استشهاد سليمان العبيد لاعب منتخب فلسطين السابق". FilGoal.com. 6 August 2025.