Palestinian firebomb survivor meets Cristiano Ronaldo

Published
6

A Palestinian boy who survived a firebombing by Jewish extremists which killed his parents and baby brother was greeted by Real Madrid's stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, on Thursday.

Five-year-old Ahmed Dawabcheh has been recovering from his injuries over the past eight months.

Moved by images of the bandaged boy wearing a Real Madrid jersey, Palestinians campaigned for months on social media to persuade the team to meet Ahmed.

And his dream came true as he posed for photos and had a Real shirt christened with own name on the back signed by the club's Galacticos, including three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo and Welsh star Bale.

“The Real Madrid team met him and took photos with him and gave him a shirt and ball signed by the whole team,” Madrid said in a statement.

“Clearly moved, the boy ran around the facilities before witnessing his idols train." After meeting the players at Real's training ground, Ahmed was then given a tour of the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Related: Father of toddler burnt to death by Israeli settlers dies

The attack in July drew renewed attention to Jewish extremism, sparked international condemnation and worsened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinian Football Association head Jibril Rajoub said Real Madrid were “restoring hope for a child who lost his entire family”.

In December Ronaldo also met a three-year-old Lebanese boy who had lost both parents in a suicide bombing in his home country.

Related: Dream come true: Afghan boy receives Lionel Messi's jersey

His on-field rival, Barcelona's Lionel Messi, was similarly moved by the plight of another five-year-old.

Afghan boy Murtaza Ahmadi won the internet's heart when he was pictured wearing a plastic bag as an improvised Messi jersey.

He travelled with his family to Kabul last month to receive two jerseys autographed by the Argentine star, which were presented to the young fan by UNICEF.

Opinion

Editorial

The debt burden
Updated 07 Nov, 2026

The debt burden

The government borrows to cover consumption, budget deficits, and external payments — not to build anything that pays for itself.
Expendable LGs
07 Nov, 2026

Expendable LGs

POLITICAL parties frequently appear reluctant to hold regular local bodies elections on one pretext or another. This...
Scam centres
07 Nov, 2026

Scam centres

THE recent raid by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency on a dubious call centre in Karachi shows how...
Reviewing ties
Updated 06 Nov, 2026

Reviewing ties

With the Democrats clawing back power in Congress, changes in America’s approach to global engagement are likely to occur.
Genuine engagement
06 Nov, 2026

Genuine engagement

THE PTI-led opposition alliance TTAP appears to have finally brought an initially reluctant Maulana Fazlur Rahman on...
Human bondage
Updated 06 Nov, 2026

Human bondage

Law enforcement and political quarters are notorious for protecting the perpetrators, instead of ensuring legal implementation. Systemic coercion will keep Pakistan from becoming a humane state.