Earlier this year, Palestine’s footballing journey made history by reaching the Round 16 stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time.

Palestine’s national football team will face Lebanon with the hopes of progressing to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The upcoming match, set to take place at Doha’s Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday, holds significance beyond the FIFA tournament as it also determines qualification for the next edition of the Asian Cup.

In addition to Lebanon, Palestine faces opposition from Australia and Bangladesh from its group. The Lions of Canaan currently sit in a commendable second place with seven points from four games, while Australia maintains the top spot with a five-point lead.

Lebanon sits in third place in their group, hungry for a win as the top two teams will enter the next stage of the qualifiers.    

Palestine national team head coach Makram Daboub and captain Musab Al Battat said that the game comes at a challenging time due to the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, but that the team is prepared and ready to play.

“Palestine’s situation is very hard on normal days, from traveling to the situation in Gaza, but our goal as a group is to prepare ourselves and be present at important games like the Asian Cup and the World Cup qualifiers,” Daboub said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“It gives players and fans hope despite the pain and suffering. We get messages of support from people from Gaza,” he added.

Last year, Palestine drew 0-0 with Lebanon. If Palestine loses on Thursday, it will have another chance to progress in the qualifiers as it will take on Australia in its final group match on June 11.

Earlier this year, Palestine’s journey was marked by unwavering support by fans and spectators as they made history, reaching the Round of 16 stage of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar for the first time.