World Cup soccer trophy visits Palestinian territories
Thousands turn out to see the gold cup as it meanders its way around the world ahead of the tournament in Russia this summer
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Thousands of Palestinian soccer fans took photographs with the World Cup trophy Monday as it tours the globe ahead of this summer’s tournament in Russia.
More than 10,000 people queued to see the trophy during three days it was displayed near Ramallah in the West Bank, organizers said.
It is the second time the World Cup has been displayed in the Palestinian territories and comes as part of a wider tour of the trophy ahead of the World Cup.
Great times in Ramallah! ????????????#WorldCup #TrophyTour pic.twitter.com/yKXYNKTKWQ
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 19, 2018
The cup left Monday afternoon for Jordan before it goes to Dubai later in the week. It visited Israel last week.
Hamza Samara brought his sons for a photo with the cup shortly before it left.
“I have seen the World Cup on television but to see it in real life and take a picture with it is something else,” he said.
“It is something beautiful that changes the atmosphere and takes my sons away from the circumstances we live under.”
As elsewhere in the Arab world, soccer is hugely popular among Palestinians.
The Times of Israel Community.