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Mohammed Barakat (footballer)

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Mohammed Barakat
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-06-22)22 June 1984[1]
Place of birth Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Date of death 11 March 2024(2024-03-11) (aged 39)
Place of death Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Shabab Khan Younis
Al Sadaqa
Ittihad Khanyounis
Al Wehdat
2016–2019 Al Shoalah
–2023 Ahly Gaza
International career
2013 Palestine 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mohammed Barakat (Arabic: محمد بركات; 22 June 1984 – 11 March 2024)[2] was a Palestinian footballer who played as a forward. Nicknamed "the Lion" and "the Legend of Khan Younis", Barakat was the first centurion player in Palestinian football history, having scored 114 goals for Khan Younis Youth Club (Shabab Khan Younis).[2][3][4] Prior to his death, the last club he played for was Ahly Gaza in the Gaza Strip Premier League. In July 2026, the Israel Defense Forces announced that Barakat had been a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and alleged that he had infiltrated Israel during the 7 October 2023 attacks. [5]

International career

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Barakat made his debut for the Palestine national team on 2 March 2013 in a 1–0 victory against Bangladesh at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification.[6] He also played in a 9–0 victory against Northern Mariana Islands in the same tournament two days later.[7] However, he was not selected to play in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.

His last appearance for the national team came in a 2–0 friendly defeat against Qatar on 17 April 2013.[8]

Death

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Barakat was killed by the Israel Defence Force during an airstrike on 11 March 2024, amid the Siege of Khan Yunis. He was 39. His remains were found in his destroyed home in Khan Yunis.[2][3][4][9]

In July 2026, the Israel Defense Forces announced that Barakat had allegedly been a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and alleged that he had infiltrated Israel during the 7 October 2023 attack. [10] The announcement formed part of an IDF allegation that Palestinian footballers killed during the Gaza attack had been portrayed internationally as civilian athletes. [11]

References

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  1. ↑ "Palestine - Mohammed Barakat". Soccerway. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Palestine footballer Barakat killed in Israel's war on Gaza". Al Jazeera. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Remembering Palestinian football legend Mohammed Barakat". TRT World. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 "محمد بركات... نجم جديد يختتم مسيرته الكروية ويرتقي شهيداً" (in Arabic). Palestinian Football Association. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Ben Kimon, Elisha. "IDF reveals: Gaza soccer figures presented as athletes were terrorists". ynetglobal. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Palestine vs. Bangladesh 1-0". Soccerway. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Northern Mariana Islands vs. Palestine 0-9". Soccerway. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Qatar vs. Palestine 2-0". Soccerway. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "'Legend of Khan Yunis' – Israel Kills Top Gaza, Arab Footballer". The Palestine Chronicle. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "IDF says Palestinian soccer players and FIFA referee were Hamas, PIJ terrorists". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "12 Eliminated Gazan Soccer Players Linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad". IDF. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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