September 18 – Palestine are to play a Basque Country side in a November friendly at Athletic Club’s San Mamés stadium, it has been confirmed.
First reported by Cadena Ser and confirmed by the Palestine FA (PFA) to Inside World Football, the Palestinian national team will face “Euskadi” (Basque Country) in a friendly in November. The match in Bilbao will serve as a warm-up for the Arab Cup qualifier against Libya.
Last month, Palestine lost their first match under new manager Ihab Abu Jazar 1-0 against Malaysia, a team ranked 27 places lower than the Palestinians. The team can no longer qualify for the 2026 World Cup but is hopeful of reaching the 2025 Arab Cup hosted by Qatar in December.
The November friendly will reinforce ties between Palestine and Spain, but particularly the Basque Country where support for the Palestinian cause is widespread.
Bilbao was at the heart of the pro-Palestine protests during the recent Vuelta a España, one of the world’s most famous cycling races, with hundreds of protesters forcing the suspension of the eleventh stage.
It marked a turning point in the race as protests over the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team intensified. That culminated on Sunday with the Vuelta’s final stage in Madrid unable to be completed.
Last season, the San Mamés hosted the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and has been regarded as one of Europe’s finest grounds since opening in 2013. Earlier this week, Arsenal got an important 2-0 win against Athletic Club in their opening fixture of the 2025-26 Champions League season at the stadium.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, as [email protected]