Two Palestinian refugee children took part in the UEFA Super Cup medal ceremony on August 13, 2025, in Udine, Italy. Twelve-year-old Tala and nine-year-old Mohamed stood alongside UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin as Paris Saint-Germain faced Tottenham Hotspur.
The UEFA Foundation for Children invited them to highlight its support for children in conflict zones. Tala, who has fragile health, was moved to Milan for treatment unavailable in Gaza due to the war. Mohamed, orphaned and injured in an airstrike, is also receiving care in Milan with his grandmother.
During the match, nine refugee children from Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Palestine, and Ukraine held a banner reading: “STOP KILLING CHILDREN – STOP KILLING CIVILIANS.” This was part of UEFA’s work with Inter Campus, which promotes social integration.
The moment drew mixed reactions on social media. Supporters called it a “heartwarming” and “bold” statement, while critics accused UEFA of “tokenism” and of acting inconsistently in its response to conflicts.
Some demanded bans on Israeli teams, pointing to UEFA’s swift action against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Others said the gesture was too small compared to the scale of suffering.
The UEFA Super Cup became both a symbol of unity and a platform for debate. While the foundation continues its work with groups like Médecins du Monde to help children in war zones, the event showed the challenges sports bodies face when addressing global crises.
